{
  "id": 16936811,
  "title": "New study estimates 75% of deceased ex-NFL players had brain disease CTE",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/new-study-estimates-75-of-deceased-ex-nfl-players-had-brain-disease",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-28T18:04:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian US",
    "slug": "the-guardian-us",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/28/cte-nfl-brain-disease-research"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "A new study published in JAMA Network Open estimates that approximately 75% of former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023 showed evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The research, conducted by a team involving Boston University, Mass General Brigham, and the Concussion & CTE Foundation, examined the prevalence of the neurodegenerative disease among 2,362 players who died during this period.\n\nThe Guardian US reports that the estimated rate of CTE among these players was significantly higher than the rates observed in brain samples from the general population. Medical Xpress notes that CTE can only be definitively diagnosed after death and is associated with substantial exposure to repetitive head impacts.\n\nLead author Julia Gallini, a Ph.D. candidate at Boston University School of Public Health, stated that providing a precise prevalence estimate helps define the scale of the problem and informs medical priorities. Medical Xpress further notes that while CTE is found in less than 1% of community brain bank donors, the estimated 75% prevalence among these deceased players suggests a need for increased efforts to support families and develop methods to diagnose and treat CTE-related symptoms during life.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Medical Xpress",
        "title": "Nearly 75% of former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023 had CTE, analysis estimates",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/nearly-75-of-former-nfl-players-who-died-between-2008-and-2023-had",
        "published": "2026-10-28T15:00:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "New study estimates that nearly 75% of former NFL players had CTE at death",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/new-study-estimates-that-nearly-75-of-former-nfl-players-had-cte-at",
        "published": "2026-10-28T19:07:53.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}