Study Links Dementia Risk to Heading Footballs

A recent study led by Professor Willie Stewart from Glasgow University indicates that the increased risk of dementia among former professional footballers is not linked to lifestyle factors such as smoking or drinking, but rather to head injuries from heading the ball. This study analyzed health records of nearly 12,000 former players and found that dementia risk factors were similar or lower compared to the general population. Stewart emphasizes the need for football authorities to ban headers during training to significantly reduce head impacts. Previous research already established that former footballers are three-and-a-half times more likely to die from neurodegenerative diseases than non-players, with risk increasing for those with longer careers. Families of affected footballers are advocating for change, citing the devastating impacts of dementia on their loved ones. Stewart's findings call for prioritizing the reduction of repetitive head impacts in contact sports to mitigate neurodegenerative disease risk.