Hastened death in veterans with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Abstract

Hastened death in veterans with amyotrophic lateral sclerosisInterest in hastened-death, assisted or self-inflicted, appears to be more prevalent in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) than in any other incurable illness. [1][2][3] There are a myriad of confounding variables that potentially underlie this interest. Although death is the inevitable outcome for virtually all ALS patients, identifying and successfully thwarting the causal influences that contribute to premature hastened-death interest is a noble and noteworthy challenge. In this issue of the Journal, Lund and colleagues provide further insight into this conundrum. They identify a fourfold increase in suicide (self-inflicted, not physician-assisted) in a notably large cohort of ALS patients receiving care from the Veteran's Health Administration. 4