Lawmakers want Gehrig’s medical records released

Some Minnesota lawmakers hope to force the release of Lou Gehrig’s medical records, saying they might provide insight into whether the New York Yankees star died of the disease that came to take his name or whether repetitive head trauma played some kind of role. Their effort comes despite opposition from Mayo Clinic, which holds the records, and skepticism from experts that the records alone would prove anything. The death of Gehrig (pictured right) is attributed to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, a debilitating neurological disease that after his death in 1941 became commonly known by his name. A widely publicized study in 2010 suggested a potential link between repetitive brain trauma in athletes and ALS.

Associated Press