Study indicates footballers’ elevated dementia risk not linked to lifestyle factors

A recent study has found no evidence connecting the increased risk of dementia among professional footballers to general health and lifestyle factors. This finding strengthens the possibility that repeated heading of footballs may be a cause of brain injuries. Professional footballers face a three-and-a-half times higher likelihood of dying from a neurodegenerative disease compared to the general population. The research was spearheaded by Professor Willie Stewart of Glasgow University, who five years prior identified that footballers were three-and-a-half times more prone to death from a neurodegenerative disease than individuals in the wider population. Professor Stewart stated, “Our data suggests this relationship between higher rates of neurodegenerative disease among former professional footballers is not driven by those wider general health and lifestyle factors, widely recognised as dementia risk factors.” He further elaborated, “In the past, we would say that we felt the strongest risk was probably to do with head injuries and head impacts in sport, but we couldn’t be certain that their relationship to alcohol. smoking, diabetes or blood pressure – these other risk factors might be involved. Now, we actually know, having looked at the data, that these other risk factors don’t appear to be contributing to the dementia risk.” Families, including relatives of the late 1966 World Cup winner Nobby Stiles, are pursuing legal action against football governing bodies, alleging brain injuries resulting from recurrent head-to-ball impacts. “I would head the ball at times & it would go black – Howey” Gary Pallister and Steve Howey, both former Premier League players, have shared their health concerns with BBC Sport following years of heading footballs. Howey, who is among the claimants in the ongoing legal proceedings, reported that scans have revealed cognitive decline. Judith Gates, a prominent advocate from Head Safe Football, has formally requested Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to designate heading the ball as a national health concern to protect future players. Gates’ husband, Bill, a former Middlesbrough defender, passed away last year at the age of 79 due to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). She established the Head Safe Football charity to raise awareness about the dangers of head impacts and the indicators of head injury. Funding for the new study was provided by the Football Association, the Professional Footballers’ Association, the Medical Research Council, and the United States’ National Institutes of Health. The study, published in the medical journal Jama Network Open, analyzed the electronic health records of 11,984 former professional footballers and 35,952 control individuals from the general population in Scotland. Researchers evaluated key dementia risk factors across both cohorts, including a history of smoking, depression, alcohol-related disorders, diabetes, hypertension, hearing loss, and obesity. The study team concluded that the prevalence of these risk factors was either comparable to or lower among former players. Specifically, former professionals exhibited a reduced risk for alcohol-related disorders, smoking, diabetes, and obesity. The research also indicated similar risks for hearing loss, depression, and hypertension when compared to the general population. Stewart informed BBC Sport that the report “really moves the conversation on quite a bit.” He commented, “What we’re seeing is that these footballers are generally healthy men with good lifestyles. Their blood pressure is good, their weight is good, they’re not smoking, they’re not drinking, but they’ve got a real problem with dementia, which is still there, and that we say is related to the head injuries, the head impacts in sport. That’s the problem that we’re dealing with here.” The FA stated: “We continue to invest in and support multiple projects in order to gain a greater understanding of this area through objective, robust and thorough research. We have already taken many proactive steps to review and address potential risk factors which may be associated with playing football whilst ongoing research continues.” The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), the trade union representing professional footballers in England and Wales, operates a dedicated brain health team. This team offers support to former members concerned about brain health and educates current players on brain health in football. In September 2023, the PFA launched the Football Brain Health Fund, allocating an initial £1m to assist former players and their families affected by dementia and other neurodegenerative conditions. “Migraines left me unable to train – Gary Pallister”