A Gulf War Link to Lou Gehrig’s Disease?

New reports from the Institute of Medicine, released today, suggests a possible connection between military service and later development of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease (after its most famous victim). But the chairman of the committee that wrote the report cautions against overreaction. “It’s a rare disease, and it’s rare in veterans,” says Dr. Richard Johnson, a neurologist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “I served in the military, and it didn’t cross my mind that this would increase my risk of the disease.”