Former Professional Soccer Players

Neurodegenerative Disease Mortality among Former Professional Soccer Players

List of authors.

• Daniel F. Mackay, Ph.D., 
• Emma R. Russell, M.Sc., 
• Katy Stewart, Ph.D., 
• John A. MacLean, M.B., Ch.B., 
• Jill P. Pell, M.D., 
• and William Stewart, M.B., Ch.B., Ph.D.

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Neurodegenerative disorders have been reported in elite athletes who participated in contact sports. The incidence of neurodegenerative disease among former professional soccer players has not been well characterized.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study to compare mortality from neurodegenerative disease among 7676 former professional soccer players (identified from databases of Scottish players) with that among 23,028 controls from the general population who were matched to the players on the basis of sex, age, and degree of social deprivation. Causes of death were determined from death certificates. Data on medications dispensed for the treatment of dementia in the two cohorts were also compared. Prescription information was obtained from the national Prescribing Information System.

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CONCLUSIONS

In this retrospective epidemiologic analysis, mortality from neurodegenerative disease was higher and mortality from other common diseases lower among former Scottish professional soccer players than among matched controls. Dementia-related medications were prescribed more frequently to former players than to controls. These observations need to be confirmed in prospective matched-cohort studies. (Funded by the Football Association and Professional Footballers’ Association.)

https://www.nejm.org/do/10.1056/NEJMdo005612/full/?requestType=popUp&relatedArticle=10.1056%2FNEJMoa1908483

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