Association of Field Position and Career Length With Risk of Neurodegenerative Disease in Male Former Professional Soccer Players

Abstract

Key Points Question What is the association of field position, career length, and playing era with risk of neurodegenerative disease in male former professional soccer players? Findings In this cohort study of 7676 Scottish male former professional soccer players and 23 028 general population control individuals matched by sex, year of birth, and area socioeconomic status, risk of neurodegenerative disease among former soccer players varied by field position and career length but was similar across era of participation. Meaning In this study, risk of neurodegenerative disease was higher among former professional soccer players with longer careers and among those in nongoalkeeper positions, indicating that factors associated with nongoalkeeper positions should be scrutinized to mitigate risk; meanwhile, strategies to reduce head impact exposure may be advisable to reduce negative outcomes in this population.

The Effect of the FIFA 11 + with Added Neck Exercises on Maximal Isometric Neck Strength and Peak Head Impact Magnitude During Heading: A Pilot Study

“…While heading has always been an integral part of football, there is growing uncertainty surrounding the role repeated head impacts from football heading has on brain health [ 1 ]. A recent cohort study reported that Scottish male professional football players ( n = 7676) were more likely (hazard ratio 3.66; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.88–4.65; p < 0.001) to be identified with a neurodegenerative disease when compared with matched controls ( n = 23,028) from the general population [ 2 ]. Any impact to the head has the potential to cause a transmission of force to the brain [ 3 ].…”

Dementia risk in professional footballers is linked to player position and career length, study finds

“…The risk of neurodegenerative disease in former professional footballers varies by the position they play in and the length of their career—but not by which decade they played in—a landmark study has reported 1…”

Association of Playing College American Football With Long-term Health Outcomes and Mortality

“…Several of the lower SMRs in the former college player cohort are consistent with results in studies of former NFL players 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 52 and may be associated with the “healthy worker effect,” including regular exercise, physical activity, and lower cigarette smoking rates among male college athletes. 53 Results are also similar to those of recent studies of former professional soccer players in Scotland, 54 , 55 which found lower overall mortality and mortality from ischemic heart disease and lung cancer compared with the general population. However, in those studies of former Scottish soccer players, mortality from neurodegenerative disease (including Alzheimer disease, ALS, and Parkinson disease) was higher than that in the general population.…”