Researchers from a in the UK have found that playing soccer can damage the health of players. A team of from Glasgow University discovered that professional football players are three and a half more likely to die of dementia than other people. The experts looked at or not heading a football could lead to brain damage. The research looked into the deaths of 7,676 ex-soccer players who played in Scotland between 1900 and 1976. The team compared the deaths of the former soccer players to the of 23,000 people who did not regularly play football. They found that the football players suffered from a lot brain injuries.
The was requested by the Football Association and the Professional Footballers' Association in the UK. The two associations made the request after the death of English football player Jeff Astle in 2002. Mr Astle's was convinced he died as a of playing football. Doctors said his of death was "repeated minor brain traumas". The doctors said this could happen with a soccer ball. Researcher Dr Willie Stewart said his research showed that former football players were more to suffer from Alzheimer's disease, neurone disease and Parkinson's . He said they were less likely to die of diseases, such as heart disease and lung .
