Professional footballers are 3.5 times more likely to develop a neurodegenerative disease than the rest of the population, and five times more likely to suffer Alzheimer’s because of the repeated blows to the head they suffer during the development of their profession, according to data from a Scottish study compiled by Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN).
According to this scientific society’s estimates, between 10% and 20% of sports injuries that occur each year are traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and about 20% are contact sports players. suffers at least one episode of traumatic brain injury each year, with soccer, American football, rugby, hockey and boxing being the sports with the highest incidence.
The doctor and president of SEN, Jesus Porta-Etessam, explains that this type of trauma can result “from a brief change in mental state” to a longer period of unconsciousness or serious brain problems after the injury, and where the consequences are can lead to “long-term effects on brain health.”
Furthermore, according to data from SEN on spain, TBIs are the leading cause of death in children under the age of twenty and an estimated 74,000 people suffer from acquired brain injury as a result of sustaining a traumatic brain injury.
however, Porta-Etessam highlighted that the benefits of sports training “will always outweigh the possible risks” and, at the same time, highlighted the importance of preventing TBI with a helmet or seat belt, because “they can be important for our brain health”.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
