Football players face dementia more often, study says

23:49   21 October, 2019

Former professional footballers are 3.5 times more likely to experience dementia than other people, said experts from the University of Glasgow.

According to BBC, the experts studied the medical history of 7676 deceased former footballers. Their data were compared with case histories of 23,000 non-football players. Initially, scientists wanted to find out if there is a connection between hitting the ball with the head and the development of brain pathologies. As it turned out, blows to the head really affect the brain and contribute to the development of dementia.

In addition to the risk of dementia, experts also revealed a pattern according to which ex-professional football players on average live longer than ordinary people.

The study began in January 2018, amid rumors that the death of former England striker Jeff Astle was associated with multiple head injuries that he received throughout his football career.

Astle died in 2002 aged 59 years. He is known for his performances for West Bromwich Albion and Notts County.



© NEWS.am Medicine