A recent study revealed that soccer players are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
According to the British newspaper “The Sun”, researchers found that professional players are 60 percent more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than the general public.
The study tracked rates of illness and other forms of dementia in professional soccer players, compared to the general population.
Peter Ueda, from the Karolinska Institutet, said the findings “confirm that elite footballers have a higher risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases later in life”.
Risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease include advanced age, family history of the condition, untreated depression and heart disease.
According to the study, there is evidence that soccer players’ headers can raise risk levels.
It is not yet clear what causes this, but repeated small injuries to the brain or small concussions when a player heads the ball is thought to be responsible.
According to the research, the risk was 50 percent higher for outfield players who headers, but not as great for goalkeepers who don’t.
Professor Jill Livingston, from University College London, said: “The danger is from the positions used by players, such as touching the head or exposure to injury.”
“We need to act to protect people’s heads and minds and keep exercising,” he adds.
