Neurodegenerative disease mortality among former professional soccer players
Our 2019 publication assessed mortality outcomes in our former professional soccer players. With a main aim of finding out whether former players were at different risk of mortality from neurodegenerative diseases, including dementia, as well as a range of other common causes of death. Causes of death, and age at death, were determined from death certificates.
STUDY: MAIN FINDINGS
· All-cause mortality was lower in former players, up until the age of 70.
· Risk of neurodegenerative disease deaths were increased in former players, with risk being just over 3.5 times greater.
· This risk was greatest for Alzheimer’s disease – risk was 5 times elevated.
· Risk was lowest for Parkinson’s disease – risk was just over doubled.
· Age at death with neurodegenerative disease did not differ between former players and that of the general population, other than for non-Alzheimer’s dementia.
· Former players were also more likely to receive a prescription of a dementia-related medication.
· Risk of death from ischaemic heart disease, and from lung cancers, were reduced in the former players.
You can read the whole paper here –
Mackay, D. F., Russell, E. R., Stewart, K., MacLean, J. A., Pell, J. P., Stewart, W. (2019) Neurodegenerative Disease Mortality among Former Professional Soccer Players. NEJM, doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1908483