Life After Pro Football

deception · Oct 1, 2009

http://www.thestar.com/sports/football/article/703640

So, those who play professionally a sport in which hits with the head occur on almost every play, say it comes as little surprise that a new study reports Alzheimer's and similar memory-related diseases appear to have been diagnosed in former players at much higher rates than the general public.

"I'm sure there's a link between hitting guys with your head repeatedly and some of these effects," said Argonauts nose tackle Adriano Belli, a nine-year CFL veteran.

Belli missed two months of the 2003 season and considered retiring after a concussion with the Montreal Alouettes.

In the study, commissioned by the NFL, a phone survey of 1,063 retired players asked, among other health-related questions, if they'd ever been diagnosed with "dementia, Alzheimer's disease or other memory-related disease?"

The researchers at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research found 6.1 per cent of the former NFL players age 50 and older reported they had received a dementia-related diagnosis – five times higher than the U.S. average.

Those players aged 30-49 showed a rate of 1.9 per cent, or 19 times the national average of 0.1 per cent.

While the study is being heralded as the first admission from the NFL that former players may be more at risk than other Americans for memory-related diseases, league spokesman Greg Aiello said the league isn't jumping to conclusions.

Aiello said the study didn't formally diagnose dementia, was subject to the shortcomings of telephone surveys and "there are thousands of retired players who do not have memory problems.

"Memory disorders affect many people who never played football or other sports," Aiello told the The New York Times. "We are trying to understand it as it relates to our retired players."

The NFL is conducting a more detailed study, including neurological exams, on 120 retired players.

CFL spokesman Matt Maychak said while the league is not conducting a study on the issue "we take the health of our players very seriously. ... We're always open to reviewing new research, including this," Maychak said.

The CFL has adopted cognitive and physical tests for athletic therapists and doctors to assess a player's readiness to return after a concussion, Maychak said. Rules have also been tightened on hits to the head and using the helmet to spear opponents, he said.
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-the nfl union is disgusting; their first objective should be to provide for retired players

Chocolove · Oct 1, 2009

They had an article about this in the newest issue of GQ, its pretty scary stuff.

speeds · Oct 1, 2009

I don't know if similar studies have been done but boxing and pro wrestling also have such issues.

I wouldn't be surprised if hockey and rugby do as well.

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Life After Pro Football

deception JBB Banned Member

Chocolove Active Member

speeds $2.50 highball, $1.50 beer Staff Member Administrator GFX Team

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Life After Pro Football

deception JBB Banned Member

Chocolove Active Member

speeds $2.50 highball, $1.50 beer Staff Member Administrator GFX Team

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