Sandra Bullock's partner Bryan Randall died of ALS. Here's what to know about this ‘devastating’ disease.

Sandra Bullock's partner Bryan Randall has died of ALS, his family announced on Monday.

"It is with great sadness that we share that on Aug. 5, Bryan Randall passed away peacefully after a three-year battle with ALS," Randall's family said in a statement to People. "Bryan chose early to keep his journey with ALS private, and those of us who cared for him did our best to honor his request."

The family said that they are "immensely grateful to the tireless doctors who navigated the landscape of this illness with us and to the astounding nurses who became our roommates, often sacrificing their own families to be with ours." Randall was 57. He and Bullock had been dating since 2015, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Bullock largely kept their relationship private, but she called Randall "the love of my life" on a Red Table Talk appearance in 2021. She also praised his ability to navigate tough situations. "He's the example that I would want my children to have," she said. "I have a partner who's very Christian, and there are two different ways of looking at things. I don't always agree with him, and he doesn't always agree with me. But he is an example even when I don't agree with him."

Randall's death has raised a lot of questions about ALS, including how it's treated. Here's what you need to know.

What is ALS?

ALS stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. It's a motor neuron disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement (meaning, the muscles that are used to do things like chew, walk and talk), according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). The disease gets worse over time, there is no cure and there is no effective treatment to reverse its progress, per the NINDS.

"The nerves in the brain and in the spinal cord are affected and stop working," Dr. Amanda Peltier, chief of the division of neuromuscular disorders at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, tells Yahoo Life.

That can lead to a host of symptoms, including early signs such as muscle twitches in the arm, leg, shoulder or tongue, muscle cramps, tight and stiff muscles, slurred speech, and trouble chewing or swallowing, according to the NINDS. As the disease progresses, patients may not be able to stand or walk, use their own hands and arms, speak or breathe on their own.

Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure within three to five years after they develop symptoms.

How common is ALS?

There are an estimated 31,000 patients living with ALS in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). On average, 5,000 new patients are diagnosed with the condition each year, the CDC says.

"About 85% of the time, ALS comes on with no known reason," Dr. Paul Twydell, a neurologist and neuromuscular medicine specialist at Corewell Health in Michigan, tells Yahoo Life.

Who is most at risk of ALS?

ALS is more common in men than women, the CDC says. It's also age-related — most people are diagnosed between the ages of 55 and 75. Race may play a role too, with the NINDS noting that people who are Caucasian and not Hispanic are the most likely to develop ALS.

Veterans are up to twice as likely as the general population to develop ALS, according to the NINDS. About 5% to 10% of ALS cases have a family link, per the CDC.

"Right now, the data suggest that people who have been exposed to multiple traumas are at slightly higher risk. This includes athletes and military personnel," Peltier says.

How is ALS treated?

There is no treatment that can cure ALS or stop its progression. "However, there are three FDA-approved medications to slow down the progression of ALS," Peltier says. "Their effectiveness varies, and they unfortunately do not return any function lost."

Many patients receive care from a multidisciplinary team of professionals, including physicians, pharmacists, physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, respiratory therapists, nutritionists, psychologists and home care and hospice nurses, NINDS says.

"Most of what we do is supportive, such as braces, wheelchairs and speech devices to help people continue to be productive," Peltier says.

Lifestyle changes, such as avoiding foods that are difficult to swallow and using suction devices to remove excess fluids or saliva and prevent choking, are also usually used, notes the NINDS.

How has the Ice Bucket Challenge helped?

The Ice Bucket Challenge started in 2014 as a way to raise awareness of ALS, as well as money for ALS research. A 2019 report from RTI International found that donations from the challenge allowed the ALS Association to increase its annual funding for research around the world by 187%.

"It increased people’s knowledge about the disease," Peltier says. "It is also important to know that the money gathered was used to come up with ideas for different drugs that we are testing now in clinical trials."

The money didn't just support clinical trials, though. "That money also has been used to support ALS-certified clinics, which typically are financially strapped because of the high level of individual care and limited reimbursement by insurance companies and Medicare," Twydell says.

Peltier says that more research is needed in the fight against ALS. "This is a horrible disease that takes people’s control away," she says. "Anything we can do to support patients and families, and move toward better treatments is most appreciated."

Twydell says an ALS diagnosis is "devastating" but adds that "it is important to note that many patients will still find ways to enjoy their lives, despite the progression of the disease."

In their statement, Randall's family asked the public for privacy "to grieve and to come to terms with the impossibility of saying goodbye to Bryan."

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