A recent study conducted by the University of Glasgow has found that higher rates of dementia among former professional footballers are not driven by lifestyle factors such as smoking or obesity. The FIELD study, which focuses on potential links between dementia and head impacts in sport, analyzed health records from nearly 12,000 former players and a control group of over 35,000 members of the public.
Researchers found that rates of dementia risk factors, including smoking, depression, alcohol-related disorders, and obesity, were either similar or lower among former players compared to the general public. The study also determined that the contribution of these factors to dementia outcomes was notably lower in former players.
Study lead Professor Willie Stewart emphasized the importance of reducing or removing exposure to repetitive head impacts in order to mitigate the risk of neurodegenerative disease among contact sports athletes. Previous findings from the study in 2019 revealed that former players were three and a half times more likely to die from neurodegenerative disease than the general public. Additionally, in 2021, researchers identified a direct association between the length of a player’s career and their risk of developing dementia.
The study, Influence of health and lifestyle factors on dementia risk among former professional soccer players, was published in JAMA Network Open and funded by the Football Association, the Professional Footballers Association, the National Institutes of Health, and the Medical Research Council. These findings underscore the need for continued research and intervention to address the specific risks associated with repetitive head impacts in contact sports.
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