Playing football may increase risk of Parkinson’s disease

According to a recent study from the Boston University CTE Center published in the JAMA Network Open medical journal, playing football may increase a person’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease — an incurable brain condition that impairs movement, mental health, sleep, causes pain and much more. The study utilized data from an online survey of 1,875 participants sponsored by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

“729 participants with a history of playing organized football had higher odds of having a reported parkinsonism or PD diagnosis compared with participants in other organized sports,” according to the study. “Longer duration of play and higher level of football play were associated with higher odds of a reported diagnosis.”

“The findings suggest that participation in American football might be a risk factor for developing parkinsonism or PD,” the study continued.

Those with a history of playing tackle football were 61% more likely to report they had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The relationship between playing tackle football and the likelihood of a PD diagnoses, however, remains a matter of several different complex factors.

“The cause of parkinsonism and PD in former football players is multifactorial and related to factors associated and unassociated with exposure to repetitive head impact,” according to the study. “Duration of play, a proxy for exposure to repetitive head impact, has been associated with chronic traumatic encephalopathy status and severity. We observed associations between longer duration of football play and higher level of football play and greater odds of having a reported diagnosis of parkinsonism or PD.

“Most of the football players played at the amateur level. Studying individuals with lower levels of football play is of high priority because most people play at the high school and college level. However, current research on the long-term neurological outcomes of football has focused on those who played professionally.”