Study links head injuries in football to dementia risk.©(@GrGuenter )
A groundbreaking study has found no evidence that lifestyle and health factors contribute to the increased risk of dementia among professional footballers. Instead, the findings reinforce the likelihood that repeated head impacts, particularly from heading footballs, are the primary cause of brain injuries linked to neurodegenerative diseases.
The research, led by Professor Willie Stewart of Glasgow University, builds on his earlier work, revealing that footballers are three-and-a-half times more likely to die from neurodegenerative conditions than the general population. The new study, published in Jama Network Open, examined the health records of 11,984 former professional footballers and 35,952 individuals from the general population in Scotland.
The researchers compared rates of known dementia risk factors such as smoking, alcohol-related disorders, diabetes, hypertension, and depression between the two groups. Former footballers were found to have better overall health, with lower rates of smoking, diabetes, and obesity and similar rates of hearing loss and depression compared to the general population.
“This study confirms that these wider health and lifestyle factors are not contributing to the elevated dementia risk among footballers,” said Professor Stewart. “Instead, the evidence points strongly to head impacts and injuries sustained during play as the main cause.”
The findings add weight to calls for urgent action to address the risks associated with heading in football. Families of former players, including relatives of 1966 World Cup winner Nobby Stiles, are pursuing legal action against football authorities over claims that repeated head impacts caused irreversible brain injuries.
Former Premier League players Gary Pallister and Steve Howey have also voiced their concerns. Howey, who is part of the legal case, revealed that scans have shown signs of cognitive decline. Leading campaigner Judith Gates, founder of the charity Head Safe Football, has urged the government to declare heading a national health issue. Gates’ husband, former Middlesbrough defender Bill Gates, passed away in 2022 due to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).
