Professional NFL players are dying from neurodegenerative diseases at a rate four times higher than the general population, according to a new study by the Concussion & CTE Foundation, Mass General Brigham, and Boston University.
The research, which analyzed nearly 20,000 players, found that those who played in the NFL are also more likely to succumb to conditions such as ALS, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, dementia, and Huntington's disease.
"This is the clearest population-level evidence we have ever had that NFL players are dying due to neurodegenerative disease at real and measurably higher rates," stated Dr. Daniel Daneshvar, Chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Mass General Brigham and Harvard Medical School. "This study demonstrates that, when looking at athletes who have played in an NFL game, including nearly 20,000 players, across every official cause of death, the result is the same: NFL players are dying of dementia and Parkinson's disease three to four times more often than they should."
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition often linked to repeated head trauma, appears to be a primary driver of these increased mortality rates, according to Dr. Jesse Mez, Associate Director of the Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. He noted that a fourfold increase in dementia rates from a presumed environmental cause is substantial, with brain bank studies pointing to CTE as the main explanation.
For comparison, Mez highlighted that heavy lead exposure, previously linked to neurological and cardiovascular issues, results in a 2-to-3 times greater rate of dementia and a 1.5 times greater rate of cardiovascular death.
The study also revealed that players who spent five or more seasons in the NFL had nearly double the risk of neurodegenerative death compared to those who played four seasons or fewer.
Despite the heightened risks, the study noted that NFL players generally live longer than the general population. This is attributed to factors that enable them to reach professional levels, such as exceptional physical and cognitive performance, resilience, self-discipline, and lower rates of smoking and serious early illnesses.
However, the increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases remains a significant concern. A prior study focusing on players from 1960 to 2019 found that professional football players had a four-times greater risk of developing ALS compared to the general public. Many players are aware of these long-standing research links between football and neurodegenerative issues, and similar risks exist in other contact sports like hockey, soccer, and combat sports.