Home›Insurance›Health Insurance›Study finds high rates of CTE among deceased former NF…

Study finds high rates of CTE among deceased former NFL players

Researchers reviewed donated brains from 235 athletes and found 215 had confirmed chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Health Insurance

Almost every former NFL player whose brain was evaluated after death showed evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, according to findings published in the British Medical Journal and summarized by Insurance Journal.

Researchers obtained personal information and causes of death for 878 players who died between 2016 and 2021, when brain donations were highest. Of the 235 athletes whose brains underwent postmortem neurological examination, 215 had confirmed CTE, and the analysis that included all deceased football players produced a “conservative minimum” of nearly 25% with CTE.

CTE is described as a progressive brain disease tied to repeated head trauma common in contact sports such as football and boxing, and it can only be confirmed definitively through examination after death. The study also found that donors with advanced stages of CTE frequently experienced dementia, with the most severe cases linked to substantial cognitive decline and impaired daily function.

Insurance Journal reports that lead author Daniel Daneshvar called the results a wake-up call for the NFL and scientific communities. The NFL Players Association said the findings highlight real risks for players and their families, while the NFL said it is committed to making football safer, including strategies aimed at reducing concussions and head impacts.

More like this

Sources