霍金患致命漸凍症 卻多活50年 原因為何？ 綜合報導／柯弦 紐約時間： 2018-03-17 04:23 AM史蒂芬·霍金（Stephen Hawking）離世，終年76歲。他的家人發表聲明說，霍金是在英國劍橋的家中於睡夢裡安然故去。這位英國著名物理學家，同時也是存活最久的漸凍人症患者。他曾被醫生宣布「只剩2年生命」，卻一再讓醫學界驚愕，最終活了55年。霍金在21歲那年，被診斷出罹患絕症「肌萎縮性脊髓側索硬化症」（Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis，ALS），也稱漸凍人症。他後來回憶，當他還在牛津大學讀書時，就發覺自己的身體出現異常，動作變得遲緩，還有一兩次莫名摔倒在地。直到父親發現他的異常，才帶他去醫院檢測。醫生的診斷結果，給年輕的霍金當頭一擊。
漸凍人，只能看天花板的人 漸凍人症，是一種神經逐漸退化的致命疾病。患者最初會出現肌肉乏力、容易跌倒，逐漸地，四肢、身軀都會失去力氣、萎縮癱瘓，能活動的器官和部位越來越少。全身好像被冰漸漸凍結，最終會喪失呼吸的能力，因呼吸衰竭離世。漸凍人症之所以有這樣的病程，是因為病毒控制了人的運動神經元。我們體內的運動神經元，從大腦延伸至脊椎，再到達肌肉和全身，它的存在使大腦得以控制人的身體去動作。但漸凍人症讓運動神經元逐漸退化、死亡，神經不再能指揮肌肉做事，肌肉就逐漸萎縮。然而，這種疾病不會剝奪人的智力，病人依然可以清晰地思考、看、聽、感受。因此，很多病友形容自己是「看天花板的人」，軀體的行動力慢慢流失，但活躍的感官卻在靜止般的時空中感受著世界。漸凍人症目前有很多未知之謎，其中包括發病的原因尚不明朗。根據美國國立衛生研究院（NIH），現有證據籠統表明，基因和環境因素可能是導致漸凍人症的原因，55～75歲的人和男性是易發群體。罹患漸凍人症的病人，可以通過藥物、物理治療和營養補充等方法，來延緩疾病的進程，但沒有治癒方法。根據美國漸凍人協會（ALSA），漸凍人的平均存活壽命是3年，只有5%的人可以存活20年或以上。
霍金，活得最久的漸凍人症患者 然而，霍金卻在被診斷漸凍人症之後，活了55年之久，不僅超過了當年醫生的預測，也超過了迄今為止的紀錄。霍金卻在被診斷漸凍人症之後，活了55年之久，打破醫學紀錄。對於霍金為何活得如此長久，醫界無人能給出確切答案。「他是一個特例。」倫敦國王學院臨床神經疾病學教授Nigel Leigh曾在《英國醫學期刊》（BMJ）表示，可能是因為霍金發病時年輕，疾病對他影響不同，所以存活率較高。「漸凍人症是很複雜的案例，每個人情況都極為不同。」漸凍人協會的首席科學家Lucie Bruijn對《時代雜誌》表示，霍金的長壽也許與他的基因、接觸的環境因素，以及無微不至的臨床護理有關。霍金自己則認為，讓他能夠抵抗病魔的，是活躍的思維和幽默感。「至少這告訴了人們」，霍金說，「人不能失去希望。」
醫學界探究：精神對疾病的影響 近年來，面對難以解釋的絕症存活、甚至痊癒案例，醫學界開始將物質身體與精神結合起來，探尋原因。《美國國家科學院院刊》發表報告，證實人在精神上的壓力，會縮短人體「端粒」的長度。「端粒」是長在人的染色體末端的、控制人細胞分裂的DNA序列。細胞分裂一次，端粒就變短一點。一旦端粒消耗完了，人的細胞就會立刻啟動「自動凋亡」機制。因此，端粒的長短和人的壽命緊密相關。人的精神壓力會使端粒長度縮短，進而影響壽命。圖為細胞結構和端粒。(Shutterstock)研究發現，一個人的精神壓力越大，端粒的長度越短。當端粒消耗殆盡，細胞就會走向凋亡。而從更微觀的量子物理角度來看，俄國量子物理學家科羅特科夫（Konstantin Korotkov）表示，當人的精神處於積極、正面、美好的狀態，人體所發出的電子和光子能量，會明顯增強。而這種能量，則可以影響人體的健康狀況，甚至改善疾病。「中國古人講七分病，三分精神。」獲有「骨科研究奧斯卡獎」Kappa Delta獎項的華人教授李旭東說，他期待著現代醫學能夠從更深的層面對疾病進行研究，提升對精神和疾病關係的認識，或許很多未知的醫療難題可以得到答案。──轉自《大紀元》（責任編輯：李紅）
How did Stephen Hawking live so long with ALS? USA TODAY 2018 | Updated 11:00 a.m. ET March 15, 2018 Stephen Hawking fascinated astrophysicists with his otherworldly theories. But he also blew the minds of medical experts by living with ALS for 55 years. Accomplishments aside, Hawking was somewhat of a medical miracle. Experts struggle to find anyone who has lived longer with the disease than Hawking, the famed physicist who died Wednesday at 76."We wish we knew because that would give us clues to treatment," said Dr. Lucie Bruijn, the ALS Association's chief scientist. "His lifespan is exceptional. I think there are few — I certainly don't know of any others — that have had such a long lifespan." Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's disease or motor neuron disease — can kill someone within a few months of diagnosis, and there's only a 10% chance patients live more than a decade, the ALS Association says. Some medical experts have suggested Hawking lived so long because he developed the disease so early in his life, a theory yet to be proven, Bruijn said."There's no real evidence for that," she said. "One could imagine that obviously if you are younger your body is able to cope with something that might go awry." The organization claims most people are diagnosed between 40 and 70. Hawking was diagnosed at age 21. He will go down in history as the man who changed the way we view the universe.British neurologists considered the youth theory in a 2002 article on Hawking in the British Medical Journal. "We have found that the survival in younger patients is strikingly better and is measured in many years — in some cases more than 10," King's College clinical neurology professor Nigel Leigh said in the article. "Among people in their 50s and 60s, there is a 50% chance of surviving four years or so. It is a different beast if you start young, oddly, and no one knows why." Pam Shaw, a professor of neurology at England's University of Sheffield, told the journal she, too, wasn't sure why some people live longer with the disease. "The older you are the quicker the disease course tends to be, but we don't really have a handle on why some people survive for longer periods than others. I wish we did," she said. British Scientist Stephen Hawking, a celebrated theoretical physicist and cosmologist is the author of "A Brief History of Time" and his black hole thermal radiation discovery in 1974 is considered to be one of the most important physics results of the past century. Professor Hawking has a motor neuron disease that has left him completely paralyzed. Seen hereStephen Hawking delivers a keynote speech as he receives the Honorary Freedom of the City of London, March 6, 2017. Hawking was presented the City of London Corporation's highest award Monday in recognition of his outstanding contribution to theoretical physics and cosmology. Matt Dunham, AP A person's quality of care — whether it be assistance breathing or eating — also can extend an ALS patient's lifespan, Bruijn said. Hawking told the British Medical Journal he received 24-hour nursing care, which was paid for by grants. Bruijn said Hawking's life is so unique, it's tough to use his case in the battle against ALS. More than anything, Hawking serves as an inspiration for those with ALS."I have had motor neuron disease for practically all my adult life," he said. "Yet it has not prevented me from having a very attractive family and being successful in my work. This is thanks to the help I have received from Jane, my children and a large number of other people and organizations. I have been lucky that my condition has progressed more slowly than is often the case. But it shows that one need not lose hope."