Dementia in football: Ex-players three and a half times more likely to die of condition

[Eugene]

Source: BBC

Dementia in football: Ex-players three and a half times more likely to die of condition

21 October 2019
Football

Former professional footballers are three and a half times more likely to die of dementia than people of the same age range in the general population, according to new research.

Experts at Glasgow University have been investigating fears that heading the ball could be linked to brain injuries.

The study began after claims that former West Brom striker Jeff Astle died because of repeated head trauma.

It compared deaths of 7,676 ex-players to 23,000 from the general population.

The sample was taken from men who played professional football in Scotland between 1900 and 1976.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50124102


The inquest into the death of former West Brom striker Jeff Astle found heading heavy leather footballs repeatedly had contributed to trauma to his brain (Getty Images)

Link to tweet

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Not at all surprised. Who remembers that women's soccer star a few years ago...

who could barely speak?

I took a head shot or two in my extremely short soccer career years ago, and I could sorta feel my brain sloshing around. Just like boxing, NFL football, or other such sports, too many shots by, or to, the head is not good.

[Nevermypresident]

2. CTE?

[Mike 03]

3. Wondering this too.

Currently, CTE can only be diagnosed at autopsy. I wonder if they've examined the brains of any deceased players, or linked this form of dementia to headers, collisions, concussions, etc...

[Mike 03]

4. An article about contact sports and Lewy Body Disease from last year

8 or More Years of Contact Sports Linked to Parkinson’s-like Symptoms in Study

Athletes playing contact sports for longer than eight years are six times more likely to develop Lewy body disease — a neurodegenerative disorder causing Parkinson’s-like symptoms — compared to those playing football, ice hockey or boxing for fewer years, a study reports.

Its authors suggest that years of continual injury to the brain, rather than those causing concussions, might be a determining factor.

The study, “Lewy Body Pathology and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Associated With Contact Sports,” was published in the Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology.

Mild traumatic brain injuries (TBI), like concussions, that occur during contact sports are a growing health concern.

Playing contact sports for multiple years — regardless of concussion history — is already associated with brain imaging abnormalities. Consequently, players are considered to be at an increased risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson’s, and parkinsonism.

More at Link: https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/2018/07/27/8-or-more-years-of-contact-sports-linked-to-parkinsons-like-symptoms-in-study/

This article talks about repeated mild trauma as opposed to concussions.