NFL-At least one-in-four former players who died between 2016 and 2021 had CTE, study shows

In the United States on August 25, a study revealed that one out of every four deceased former NFL players between 2016 and 2021 had been diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Out of the 878 former athletes who passed away during this period, 235 agreed to donate their brains for research. Of these donated brains, 215 were confirmed to have CTE - a degenerative disease exclusively diagnosable post-mortem.

NFL representatives stated that the league is dedicated to enhancing player safety by minimizing concussions and head impacts. The NFL remains committed to providing comprehensive resources to assist former players in addressing health concerns.

Daniel Daneshvar, the study's lead author and a professor at Harvard Medical School, explained that repeated brain injuries contribute to a higher risk of neurodegenerative diseases. He also noted that NFL players face a four times higher likelihood of death from such diseases compared to the general population.

The research, conducted by Mass General Brigham, Boston University, and the Concussion & CTE Foundation, further indicated that dementia was prevalent among the brain donors. Daneshvar emphasized the need for preventive measures to reduce repetitive head impacts across all levels of the sport, as most head impacts experienced by former NFL players occurred during lower levels of play, including collegiate, high school, and youth levels.

The NFL's 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement limited the number of contact practices during the season. The Ivy League followed suit five years later by banning full-contact tackling during practices. In 2016, the Supreme Court allowed the NFL to settle concussion-related lawsuits involving thousands of retired players.

Daneshvar urged athletes, both current and former, experiencing cognitive symptoms to seek evaluation from neurodegenerative disease experts. He also pointed out that nearly 70% of head impacts occur during practices, suggesting that reducing the cumulative head impact burden through changes at lower levels could significantly benefit athletes' long-term health.