26 C
Dubai
Friday, March 29, 2024
spot_img

Football players at increased risk of dementia, study finds | World News

[ad_1]

The study also compared the risk of neurodegenerative disease among outfield players and goalkeepers. The study found that outfield players were 1.4 times more likely to develop neurodegenerative diseases than goalies.


Friday 17 March 2023 06:57 in United Kingdom

Football players are one and a half times more likely to develop dementia than the general population, according to a new study.

Researchers in Sweden compared the health records of 6,007 elite male soccer players (510 of whom were goalkeepers) with 56,168 non-football players between 1924 and 2019.

The team, from Karolinska Institutet and other research centers, published their research in the highly regarded peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet.

It found that 9% of football players were diagnosed with neurodegenerative diseasecompared to 6 percent (3,485 of 56,168) of the control sample.

According to the study, soccer players did not have a significantly increased risk of motor neurone disease.

The researchers found that soccer players also had a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease and overall mortality compared with other people.

The academics behind the study said this could be “due to playing football regularly to maintain good physical fitness”.

The study also compared the risk of neurodegenerative disease among outfield players and goalkeepers. The study found that outfield players were 1.4 times more likely to develop neurodegenerative diseases than goalies.

Peter Ueda, assistant professor at Karolinska Institutet, said: “Unlike outfield players, goalkeepers rarely head the ball, but they may be exposed to similar environments and lifestyles during their football careers and after retirement. .

“Repetitive minor head trauma due to heading a ball has been speculated to be responsible for the increased risk in football players, and it may be that the differences in neurodegenerative disease risk between these two groups of players support this theory.”

read more:
FIFA confirms no deal with Saudi Arabia for this year’s World Cup
Women’s World Cup prize money to match men’s by 2027
Second bid for Manchester United expected

In recent years, there has been growing concern about head trauma in football and whether it leads to an increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases later in life.

A previous Scottish study showed that soccer players were 3.5 times more likely to develop neurodegenerative diseases.

Based on this evidence, certain football associations have taken steps to reduce headers in younger groups and training environments.

Mr Ueda added: “While the increased risk in our study was slightly smaller than previous studies conducted in Scotland, it confirms that elite footballers are at greater risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases later in life.

“With growing calls within the movement to do more to protect brain health, our study adds to the limited evidence base that can be used to guide decisions about how to manage these risks.”

The FA is currently trialling a ban on children under 12 from heading football in grassroots leagues and matches in England.

[ad_2]

Source link

Related Articles

UAE Expatriates Reclaiming Dubai as Home, Defying Migration Trends, Resilient Return

UAE Expatriates Reclaiming Dubai as Home, Experts Reveal The UAE is experiencing a notable shift in migration patterns, as more former residents who ventured to...

Saudi Arabia Grants 6-Day Holiday for Eid Al Fitr 2024 to Public and Private Sector Employees.

Saudi Arabia Declares 6-Day Eid Al Fitr Holiday for Public and Private Sector Employees The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in Saudi Arabia...

Apple Empowers Innovation: Acquisition of Canadian AI Start-up DarwinAI Sparks Excitement for iPhone Users

Apple Acquisition of Canadian AI Start-up DarwinAI Apple made headlines earlier this year with its acquisition of Canadian startup DarwinAI, a move that signals a...

New Zealand Condemns China for Unacceptable Hacking of Parliament

New Zealand Condemns Blatant Chinese Cyberattack on Parliament as 'Unacceptable' New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, minced no words as he condemned the recent cyber...

Ramadan 2024: Glorious Images of Muslims Worldwide Celebrating.

Ramadan 2024: Embracing Unity and Devotion as Muslims Worldwide Commemorate Sacred Month In the spring of 2024, the global Muslim community once again came together...

Latest Articles