Authors say findings support measures to reduce repetitive head impact in sports
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Dec. 10, 2024 (HealthDay News) — There is no evidence that high dementia risk among former professional soccer players is associated with potentially modifiable general health and lifestyle dementia risk factors, according to a study published online Dec. 9 in JAMA Network Open.
Emma R. Russell, Ph.D., from the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom, and colleagues explored the association of potentially modifiable dementia risk factors with dementia risk among former professional soccer players. The analysis included electronic health record linkage to national electronic datasets of general and mental health hospital inpatient and day-case admissions, prescribing information, and death certification in Scotland for 11,984 male former professional soccer players (born between 1900 and 1990) and 35,952 matched controls from the general population.
The researchers found that during a median 21 years of follow-up (≥30 years at study entry), 3.62 percent of former soccer players and 1.26 percent of matched controls had a dementia diagnosis (hazard ratio, 3.02). Compared with controls, rates of general health and lifestyle dementia risk factors were similar or lower among former soccer players (e.g., diabetes, 4.26 versus 6.35 percent). Similarly, dementia risk associated with these factors among soccer players was similar to or lower than among controls (e.g., hypertension, hazard ratios, 4.62 versus 6.96).
“This study provides further support for measures to reduce repetitive head impact and traumatic brain injury exposure in contact sport to address dementia risk,” the authors write.
One author disclosed receiving grants from the Fédération Internationale de Football Association outside the submitted work.
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