Health
Actor Eric Dane’s death from ALS sparks urgent focus on rapid decline
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Eric Dane’s death has sparked conversations about the speed and severity of ALS.
Also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, the progressive illness — officially called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis — is debilitating and fatal.
While only about 5,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed each year, the average life expectancy is just two to five years, according to the ALS Association.
Dane, who most famously starred as Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” announced his diagnosis in April 2025, telling “Good Morning America” in June that his first symptoms began as “some weakness” in his right hand.
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“I didn’t really think anything of it,” the actor said. “At the time, I thought maybe I’d been texting too much, or my hand was fatigued. But a few weeks later, I noticed that it got a little worse.”
“I’m fighting as much as I can,” Dane added. “There’s so much about it that’s out of my control.”
Eric Dane starred as Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan on “Grey’s Anatomy” for seven seasons. (Bob D’Amico/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
What is ALS?
ALS is a progressive disease where the brain loses connection with the muscles, according to the ALS Association. This slowly strips a person’s ability to walk, talk, eat, dress, write, speak, swallow and, eventually, breathe.
Early signs include muscle weakness, stiffness and cramping. Symptom progression and severity are different for each case, as the association notes there is “no single timeline for ALS.”
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The disease only impacts motor neurons controlling voluntary movement, so the five senses — sight, touch, hearing, taste and smell — are not affected, nor are the eye muscles or bladder control.
ALS symptoms typically begin with muscle weakness in the upper extremities. (iStock)
Many ALS patients remain “mentally alert and aware” throughout the disease, the ALS Association reported.
Diagnosis typically occurs in people between the ages of 40 and 70. About 20% of patients live five years or longer. Only about 5% live longer than 20 years.
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ALS is typically diagnosed by a neurologist with an electromyography test (EMG), but can also be detected by blood and urine tests, spinal taps, MRIs and other imaging scans, muscle and nerve biopsies, or neurological exams.
There is currently no cure or treatment to stop disease progression, although there are treatments to slow and ease symptoms, per the ALS Association.
ALS can be diagnosed by a neurologist through various forms of testing. (iStock)
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel joined “Fox & Friends” on Friday to discuss the prevalence of ALS, suggesting that cases have increased due to “something in the environment that we don’t know yet.”
While ALS is 10% genetic, according to Siegel, 90% of cases do not have a genetic link, pointing toward other risk factors like environmental toxins.
“We’re learning to personalize the approach to this disease.”
“It’s a muscle weakness disease — affecting nerves that innervate muscles — and usually it starts on one side,” the doctor shared. “Then you develop fatigue … You could see a quivering tongue or your arm is quivering, usually one side and then the other side.”
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As the weakness progresses, it impacts speech and ultimately attacks the diaphragm, making it difficult to fully inflate the lungs.
“That’s what happened to [Dane], most likely,” Siegel said. “So, it progresses from your arms, your legs, your speech, your swallowing ability and then your breathing.”
Rising research
ALS progresses “pretty rapidly in most cases,” Siegel said. While scientist Stephen Hawking lived 55 years with the disease, Dane “probably lived about two years with it,” the doctor surmised.
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“I want to point out how courageous [Dane] is — he actually was involved with Target ALS, where he was fighting for new research,” Siegel pointed out. “We’re learning to personalize the approach to this disease, and that’s the future — and he fought for that.”
Actor Eric Dane is photographed at the St. Regis in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 30, 2025. “I want to point out how courageous [Dane],” said Dr. Marc Siegel. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
“We need a lot of money for research for this — [Dane] was asking for a billion dollars from the government.”
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Various research groups and hospital systems are actively working on new ALS therapies that take a personalized approach, Siegel shared.
The estimated cost to develop a drug that would slow or stop disease progression is $2 billion, the ALS Association has reported. The annual estimated out-of-picket cost for care is $250,000.
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Funding for ALS research and awareness has been on the rise for years, with the viral social media ALS Ice Bucket Challenge making a splash in 2014.
The challenge, supported by the ALS Association, was intended to boost awareness. It ultimately raised $115 million toward ALS research and patient care.
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The simple act of noting how fast your heart is beating while you’re at rest may be the key to measuring your overall health.
Resting heart rate is defined by Mayo Clinic as the number of times your heart beats each minute while you’re awake, calm and not moving.
A normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute for adults. A slower resting heart rate means the heart does not have the work as heard to pump blood through the body — something typical of someone who is more fit.
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Athletes who are very fit may have a resting heart rate closer to 40 beats per minute, according to Mayo Clinic.
Your resting heart rate can vary due to a variety of factors, including age, physical activity levels, sleep health, smoking, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, stress, anxiety, hormones, body type and certain medications.
A normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute for adults, according to medical experts. (iStock)
But a resting heart rate that’s often too high or too low may signal a health issue.
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A high resting heart rate, even if it’s slight, is usually a sign that something else may be going on in the body, such as anemia, an infection or a thyroid problem, according to Cleveland Clinic.
A high resting heart rate, even if it’s slight, is usually a sign that something else may be going on in the body. (iStock)
If your heart rate is regularly above 100 beats per minute, this is a sign to talk with your heart care provider.
The same advice applies if you are not a trained athlete and your resting heart rate is frequently below 60 beats per minute.
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Talk to your doctor if other symptoms such as fainting, dizziness or shortness of breath occur.
How to measure your heart rate
You can check your own heart rate by tracking your pulse on your wrist or neck. The best time of day to measure resting heart rate is first thing in the morning, says Mayo Clinic.
Place your index and middle fingers inside the wrist below the thumb, to feel the radial artery; or, do so on the side of the neck, to feel the carotid artery.
Place your index and middle fingers on the side of the neck, to feel the carotid artery — and count how many beats per minute. (iStock)
Count the number of times your pulse beats in 15 seconds, then multiply this number by four to calculate beats per minute.
Wearable devices can also detect and track resting heart rate, although this may not always be accurate.
How to lower your heart rate
If your resting heart rate is higher than normal, there are a few ways to work toward lowering it.
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Vigorous exercise is “the best way” to lower your resting heart rate and increase the heart’s aerobic capacity and max heart rate, according to Harvard.
For those who don’t exercise regularly, it’s important to work your way up in difficulty when following a new workout routine.
Vigorous exercise is “the best way” to lower your resting heart rate, Harvard Health says. But it’s vital to work your way up carefully. (iStock)
Some medications, such as beta blockers, can also lower heart rate. In the same way, managing stress through holistic methods such as meditation or yoga can also help.
Cleveland Clinic also recommends cutting back on harmful substances such as drugs and alcohol, which can dehydrate you and raise your heart rate.
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Adequate sleep can also help bring your heart rate down, in addition to maintaining a healthy weight.
Cardiologist Tamanna Singh, M.D., shared with Cleveland Clinic that lowering your heart rate takes time as various lifestyle changes kick in.
Managing stress through holistic methods such as meditation or yoga can help lower your resting heart rate,
“Just like building your biceps and triceps, it takes time for your heart to become stronger,” the doctor said.
Singh recommended focusing on heart rate patterns rather than dialing in on just the number.
Take note of how your heart rate changes after eating certain foods, when you’re dehydrated or after you’ve begun a new exercise or stress management routine.
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“If you notice that your heart rate is consistently over 100, mention it to your doctor, especially if you’ve tried making lifestyle changes and they don’t seem to be working,” she said.
“Your resting heart rate isn’t the be-all, end-all of your health, but it’s definitely a marker that you should pay attention to.”
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The health benefits of morning coffee may go beyond a wake-up call, according to a massive new study linking the beverage to a significantly lower risk of severe liver disease, liver cancer and liver-related death.
Published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the research used data from 354,957 participants enrolled in the UK Biobank.
Researchers tracked individuals who had no history of cirrhosis or liver cancer at the start of the study for an average of 13 years, according to a press release.
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Participants who drank one to two cups of coffee daily showed a 20% lower risk of developing cirrhosis and a 31% lower risk of liver-related mortality compared to non-coffee drinkers.
The protective effects became even more noticeable at higher levels of consumption.
Data revealed that heavy coffee drinkers had significantly lower levels of liver fat and liver iron. (iStock)
Individuals who drank five or more cups of coffee per day experienced a 32% reduction in cirrhosis risk, a 42% lower risk of liver-related death and a 47% lower risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of primary liver cancer.
While previous studies have hinted at coffee’s positive relationship with liver health, this study provides biological evidence to support the statistical trends, the researchers said.
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To better understand why coffee may protect the liver, the researchers conducted additional analyses using imaging data from a subgroup of nearly 29,000 participants and blood samples from approximately 50,000 individuals.
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The data showed that heavy coffee drinkers had significantly lower levels of liver fat and liver iron, as well as lower odds of developing fibroinflammation, which is the scarring and inflammation that often precedes permanent liver damage.
Participants who drank one to two cups of coffee daily showed a 20% lower risk of developing cirrhosis. (iStock)
The blood analysis linked coffee consumption with lower levels of some proteins known to trigger inflammation and tissue scarring, along with higher levels of proteins essential for healthy liver function.
Notably, the study found that the liver-protective benefits were similar for both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, suggesting that these benefits are driven by naturally occurring compounds not related to caffeine.
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While the benefits persisted regardless of whether the coffee was consumed black or with sweeteners, the researchers observed that adding sugar or artificial sweeteners slightly weakened the beneficial effects, particularly concerning markers of liver inflammation.
Researchers observed that adding sugar or artificial sweeteners slightly weakened the positive effects. (iStock)
While these findings suggest that coffee consumption is an accessible dietary habit for supporting liver health, the authors noted that it should serve as a complement rather than a replacement for standard preventative health practices.
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Because the research relied on self-reported dietary questionnaires from the UK Biobank, the findings could be susceptible to changes in participants’ coffee-drinking habits over the 13-year follow-up period.
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Additionally, as an observational study, it can only establish a strong correlation and cannot prove cause and effect, as other factors may influence the outcomes.
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