Dementia Risk Higher in Soccer Players than Baseball or Basketball Players... The Reason is 'Heading'

Soccer Players Have 3.5 Times Higher Dementia Risk Than General Population
Study Identifies 'Header' Action as Cause

A study has attracted attention by revealing that retired soccer players have a much higher likelihood of developing dementia compared to the general population. Researchers speculate that the 'header' action, where players hit the ball with their heads, affects the brain.

On the 13th (local time), the German media 'Sport' reported that the English Football Association (FA) and the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) recently commissioned a research team from the University of Nottingham in the UK to conduct this investigation.

The University of Nottingham research team surveyed former soccer players and other participants about symptoms and risk factors related to dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. They also analyzed the participants' dementia risk using various indicators such as language learning, memory tests, and telephone interviews.

The study found that among 468 former soccer players who participated in the experiment, 13 (about 2.8%) showed symptoms of dementia.

In contrast, only 2 out of 619 people (about 0.3%) in the general population group exhibited symptoms. The prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases other than dementia was also more than twice as high in the soccer player group (2.8%) compared to the general population (0.9%). It was significantly higher.

Soccer player performing a header action
Photo by Yonhap News

Research on the correlation between soccer players and dementia has been conducted several times before. In March, Dr. Wally Stewart's research team at the University of Glasgow in the UK conducted a similar study. Their results showed that retired soccer players are 3.5 times more likely to suffer from dementia symptoms than the general population.

Academia speculates that the 'header' action, which involves forcefully hitting the ball with the head, can lead to brain diseases. Dr. Stewart also emphasized, "Based on current data, it is time to issue a 'warning' that repeated headers in soccer may increase the risk of dementia," adding, "This is our conclusion and a risk that cannot be ignored."

Charlotte Cowie, the FA's medical director, also told 'Sport,' "We will expand knowledge in this field through additional medical and expert analysis," and added, "We will do our best to collaborate with stakeholders."

The issue of dementia symptoms among retired soccer players is well known through the case of former player Gordon McQueen. McQueen, who made a name for himself in the 1980s playing for Manchester United FC for about seven seasons, was diagnosed with dementia in 2021 and is currently battling the disease.

Hailey McQueen, McQueen's daughter and an announcer for the UK sports broadcasting channel Sky Sports, stated, "My father repeatedly headed heavy balls during his playing career," and added, "To prevent young players from suffering the same fate as my father, I have supported calls to ban headers during training sessions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.