June 09, (THEWILL) – Former professional footballers are nearly three-and-a-half times more susceptible to dementia diagnosis than the general population. This was revealed by a study commissioned by the English Football Association (FA) and the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA).
The University of Nottingham conducted the research, which supports earlier studies indicating that former footballers face an increased risk of neurocognitive disease. According to the report, 2.8 percent of retired professional footballers in the study reported being medically diagnosed with dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases, compared to 0.9 percent of the general population.
Dr. Charlotte Cowie, the FA’s Head of Medicine, acknowledged the significance of the findings, stating: “This is an extremely complex area of our game, but we are committed to working collectively with our stakeholders to help grow our knowledge in this area through further medical and expert analysis.”
The Football Association has faced criticism from campaigners, who argue that it has not done enough to support former players grappling with neurocognitive diseases. However, the FA highlighted the implementation of “industry-leading” concussion guidelines, which have restricted heading practice during training and prohibited deliberate headers for players under the age of 12.
In a statement, the FA asserted: “The FA has led the way in taking steps to help reduce potential risk factors within the game (including) establishing industry-leading concussion guidelines.”
The growing awareness of concussion-related issues in sports, notably exemplified by the $1 billion settlement reached by America’s National Football League in 2015, to address lawsuits from former players experiencing neurological problems, has prompted various sports worldwide, including football, rugby union, rugby league, and cricket, to enhance their concussion protocols.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
