Study finds NFL players face fourfold higher risk of death from neurodegenerative disease

Former NFL players are nearly four times more likely to die from neurodegenerative diseases than the general population, according to a major new study from researchers at Mass General Brigham, Boston University, and the Concussion & CTE Foundation. The findings, published in eClinicalMedicine and highlighted by the Harvard Gazette, come from the largest population study of former NFL players ever conducted.

Researchers examined the health records of 19,824 players who appeared in at least one NFL game between 1960 and 2019.

Largest study to date

While the study found that former NFL players actually lived longer overall than the general population, the risk of dying from neurodegenerative disease was dramatically higher.

According to the research, former players were 3.8 times more likely to die from dementia and 3.88 times more likely to die from Parkinson’s disease. Even after accounting for other known risk factors, neurodegenerative mortality remained roughly three times higher than expected.

The study also found the greatest risk among younger former players. Those who died before the age of 60 experienced neurodegenerative death rates more than 12 times higher than the general population. Career length also mattered. Players who spent five or more seasons in the league faced nearly double the neurodegenerative mortality risk of those whose careers lasted one to four seasons.

Healthy in many ways

One of the study’s most striking findings is the contrast between brain disease and overall health.

Former NFL players were less likely to die from cancer, cardiovascular disease, or suicide than the general population. Researchers say those advantages likely reflect what they call the “Selection Through Athletic Resilience Survivor,” or STARS, effect.

The theory suggests that the physical fitness, resilience, discipline, access to medical care, and healthier lifestyles that help athletes reach the professional level also contribute to longer overall life expectancy.

That makes the elevated rate of brain disease even more concerning, since researchers believe former players would otherwise be expected to have lower rates of neurodegenerative illness than the average person.

Researchers urge continued awareness

The researchers point to repeated head impacts as the most likely explanation for the increased mortality. The findings also reinforce previous studies linking longer football careers with a higher risk of chronic brain disease, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

The authors emphasized that former players experiencing memory loss, movement disorders, or other neurological symptoms should seek evaluation from specialists, noting that several conditions can mimic neurodegenerative disease and some are treatable.

The study adds another significant piece of evidence to the growing body of research examining the long-term neurological effects of playing professional football and underscores the importance of continued efforts to improve player safety at every level of the game.