Study finds no evidence that high risk of dementia in former professional footballers is due to lifestyle factors

A new study has found no evidence that common modifiable health and lifestyle risk factors are responsible for the elevated risk of dementia seen in former professional soccer players.

Led by Professor Willie Stewart, consultant neuropathologist and honorary professor at the University of Glasgow, these latest findings from the FIELD study shed light on potential reasons why former professional footballers are at higher risk of dementia than the general population .

The research, published In Open JAMA Networkis based on data from electronic health records of 11,984 former professional footballers and 35,952 matching population controls in Scotland. The researchers compared major risk factors for dementia in the two groups, including smoking, depression, alcohol use disorders, diabetes, hypertension, hearing loss and obesity.

Overall, the study team found that rates of dementia risk factors related to general health and lifestyle were generally similar – or lower – among former players, compared to their counterparts. Furthermore, the contribution of these factors to dementia outcomes was significantly lower in former players than in the general population.

This latest study builds on previous research from the FIELD study, which demonstrated in 2019 that former professional football players had a 3.5 times higher rate of death from neurodegenerative disease. Additional research in 2021 showed a direct association between career length and dementia risk, with the risk of neurodegenerative disease increasing fivefold for those with the longest careers.

Professor Stewart said: “Our latest findings suggest that the relationship between higher rates of neurodegenerative diseases among former professional football players is not driven by wider health and lifestyle factors, largely recognized as risk factors for dementia.

“As such, although interventions aimed at improving general health and lifestyle risk factors should remain recommended, the priority for mitigating neurodegenerative disease risks in contact sports athletes should continue to focus on reducing or even eliminating exposure to repeated head and head impacts. head traumaas far as possible.”

This study highlights the need for continued efforts to reduce repetitive head impacts and improve the management of head injuries in sport to mitigate dementia risk in athletes.