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Soccer players more at risk of dementia

Soccer Players - Level 0

Heading a soccer ball can damage mental health. Researchers found that ex-football players are three and a half times more likely to die of dementia. They looked at the deaths of over 7,600 ex-players and the deaths of 23,000 people who did not play football. They found that the ex-players had a lot more brain injuries.

Football associations in the UK requested the research after a player died in 2002. Doctors said he died after "repeated minor brain traumas". A researcher said ex-players were more likely to suffer from diseases like Alzheimer's. He said they were less likely to die of diseases like heart disease and lung cancer.

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Soccer Players - Level 1

A UK university found that heading a soccer ball can damage mental health. Researchers found that ex-professional football players are three and a half times more likely to die of dementia. The researchers compared the deaths of 7,676 ex-professional players who played between 1900 and 1976 to those of 23,000 people who did not play football. They found that the ex-players suffered from a lot more brain injuries.

Football associations in the UK requested the research after the death of a player in 2002. Doctors said he died after "repeated minor brain traumas". The doctors said heading a ball could cause this. A researcher said ex-football players were more likely to suffer from diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. He said they were less likely to die of common diseases, like heart disease and lung cancer.

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Soccer Players - Level 2

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A UK university has found that heading a soccer ball can damage mental health. Experts from Glasgow University discovered that ex-professional football players are three and a half times more likely to die of dementia than other people. The experts looked at whether heading a football could lead to brain damage. They analyzed the deaths of 7,676 professional players who played between 1900 and 1976. The team compared the deaths of the players to those of 23,000 people who did not play football. They found that the ex-players suffered from a lot more brain injuries.

The research was requested by two football associations in the UK. The associations made the request after the death of an English football player in 2002. His family was sure he died because of playing football. Doctors said he died after "repeated minor brain traumas". The doctors said heading a soccer ball could cause this. A researcher said his research showed that ex-football players were more likely to suffer from Alzheimer's disease, motor neurone disease and Parkinson's disease. He said they were less likely to die of common diseases, like heart disease and lung cancer.

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Soccer Players - Level 3

Researchers from a university in the UK have found that playing soccer can damage the mental health of players. A team of experts from Glasgow University discovered that former professional football players are three and a half times more likely to die of dementia than other people. The experts looked at whether or not heading a football could lead to brain damage. The research team looked into the deaths of 7,676 ex-soccer players who played in Scotland professionally between 1900 and 1976. The team compared the deaths of the former soccer players to the deaths of 23,000 people who did not regularly play football. They found that the football players suffered from a lot more brain injuries.

The research 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 family was convinced he died as a result of playing football. Doctors said his cause of death was "repeated minor brain traumas". The doctors said this could happen with heading a soccer ball. Researcher Dr Willie Stewart said his research showed that former football players were more likely to suffer from Alzheimer's disease, motor neurone disease and Parkinson's disease. He said they were less likely to die of common diseases, such as heart disease and lung cancer.

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