Researchers at Boston University have found that men who play American football at the amateur or professional level have an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease. Research published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
The authors evaluated 1,875 men: 729 played mostly amateur-level American football, and 1,146 men who played other sports served as the control group.
Football players were 61% more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease. This association continued after taking into account known risk factors for the disease. Additionally, the more years a man dedicates to football, the higher his risk. At the same time, the age at which a person began to play did not affect the chances of getting sick.
The scientists noted that football can be particularly dangerous for people who are already at risk due to other factors such as genetics. However, the reasons for this relationship are unclear.
The study was the largest of its kind and, unlike most other studies, focused more on amateurs than professional athletes.
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