EPIDEMIOLOGY OF AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS (ALS) AMONG ADULTS IN SPAIN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW, META-ANALYSIS AND FUTURE PROJECTIONS
Author(s)
Prabhu Dutta Shaw, MPH, MBA1, Tejesh S, MPH1, Jagriti Prasad, MPH1, Ullas Ulahannan, MPH1, Mona Thangamma, MSc Health Economics1, Megha Tharad, PhD2.
1Evalueserve Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru, India, 2Evalueserve SEZ Pvt Ltd, Gurugram, India.
1Evalueserve Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru, India, 2Evalueserve SEZ Pvt Ltd, Gurugram, India.
OBJECTIVES: To synthesize epidemiology of ALS among adults in the Spain and project incidence and prevalence through 2030 to inform screening strategies, service capacity, and budget planning.
METHODS: A systematic review was conducted (PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, and DOAJ; inception-Dec 2026) using terms for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Spanish studies reporting adult ALS incidence/prevalence were eligible. Meta-analyses were performed to generate pooled incidence and prevalence estimates. Sensitivity analyses were undertaken to evaluate the stability of results and address potential heterogeneity across included studies. Future projections of incidence and prevalence through 2030 were adjusted for age and gender only. United Nation 2024 population dataset was used for estimating the case counts.
RESULTS: Five studies met the inclusion criteria. The mean age of patients across studies was 69.03 years, with a median survival of 26.15 months. The pooled diagnosed incidence of ALS in Spain was estimated at 2.42 per 100,000 (95% CI: 2.28-2.57), and pooled diagnosed prevalence was 7.97 per 100,000 (95% CI: 7.68-8.24). Females accounted for 50.92% of cases. The highest disease burden was observed among individuals aged 70-79 years (30.60%), followed by those aged 60-69 years (26.50%). Spinal onset was the most common presentation (66.30%), followed by bulbar onset (27.04%). Familial ALS accounted for 7.50% of cases. The future projections indicated modest rise in disease burden, with incidence increasing from 960 cases in 2026 to 971 cases in 2030, and prevalence increasing from 3,159 cases in 2025 to 3,193 cases in 2030.
CONCLUSIONS: ALS shows increasing epidemiologic burden, particularly among older adults. The findings highlight consistent incidence and prevalence estimates, with predominance in spinal-onset disease and a small proportion of familial cases. These findings provide valuable evidence to support health policy decisions, economic modelling, and budget impact assessments aimed at improving ALS management and ensuring sustainability of healthcare systems in Spain.
METHODS: A systematic review was conducted (PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, and DOAJ; inception-Dec 2026) using terms for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Spanish studies reporting adult ALS incidence/prevalence were eligible. Meta-analyses were performed to generate pooled incidence and prevalence estimates. Sensitivity analyses were undertaken to evaluate the stability of results and address potential heterogeneity across included studies. Future projections of incidence and prevalence through 2030 were adjusted for age and gender only. United Nation 2024 population dataset was used for estimating the case counts.
RESULTS: Five studies met the inclusion criteria. The mean age of patients across studies was 69.03 years, with a median survival of 26.15 months. The pooled diagnosed incidence of ALS in Spain was estimated at 2.42 per 100,000 (95% CI: 2.28-2.57), and pooled diagnosed prevalence was 7.97 per 100,000 (95% CI: 7.68-8.24). Females accounted for 50.92% of cases. The highest disease burden was observed among individuals aged 70-79 years (30.60%), followed by those aged 60-69 years (26.50%). Spinal onset was the most common presentation (66.30%), followed by bulbar onset (27.04%). Familial ALS accounted for 7.50% of cases. The future projections indicated modest rise in disease burden, with incidence increasing from 960 cases in 2026 to 971 cases in 2030, and prevalence increasing from 3,159 cases in 2025 to 3,193 cases in 2030.
CONCLUSIONS: ALS shows increasing epidemiologic burden, particularly among older adults. The findings highlight consistent incidence and prevalence estimates, with predominance in spinal-onset disease and a small proportion of familial cases. These findings provide valuable evidence to support health policy decisions, economic modelling, and budget impact assessments aimed at improving ALS management and ensuring sustainability of healthcare systems in Spain.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-11, ISPOR Europe 2026, Vienna, Austria
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue 12S
Code
EPH138
Topic
Epidemiology & Public Health
Topic Subcategory
Public Health
Disease
Rare & Orphan Diseases