Cohort study | Professional soccer players are at increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias

Summary: The article reports on a cohort study conducted in Sweden to investigate whether male soccer players in the top division are at increased risk of neurodegenerative disease compared to matched controls from the general population. This is a topic of concern as there is a hypothesis that the repetitive mild head trauma sustained through heading the ball and concussions might cause neurodegenerative disease.

The study included 6007 football players and 56,168 controls and used nationwide registers to identify diagnoses of neurodegenerative disease. The study revealed that male professional soccer players in Sweden had a higher risk of neurodegenerative disease, particularly Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and outfield players had a higher risk than goalkeepers.

Article: Neurodegenerative disease among male elite football (soccer) players in Sweden: a cohort study – The Lancet Public Health

News Release: Elite football players are more likely to develop dementia, suggests Swedish study – Lancet

Commentaries:

Dementia risk higher for outfield players than goalkeepers – study – BBC

Neurodegenerative Diseases Are the Cost of Sports – Health Policy Watch

Related:

Dementia risk in former professional footballers is related to player position and career length.

Study: Neurodegenerative Disease Mortality Increased Among Former Professional Soccer Players