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Curious_Teapot t1_izokgzh wrote

Reply to comment by Brynmaer in NFL players, especially former linemen, had fewer disease-free years and earlier high blood pressure and diabetes diagnoses. Two age-related diseases, arthritis and dementia, were also more commonly found in former football players than in other men of the same age. by Wagamaga

I’m pretty sure dementia is the result of head injuries, not the level of exertion.Contact sports players are at higher risk of developing Lewy body disease, and as we know Lewy bodies are highly implicated in dementia. Lewy Body dementia is the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer’s

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Brynmaer t1_izpld1e wrote

Head injuries is not a bad supposition at all but that's why the science is being done.

Is dementia more common amongst ALL player or just certain positions?

Does being a larger person in general contribute to rates of dementia?

Are there other genetic factors that make someone more likely to be successful as a professional football player that also contribute to likelihood of dementia?

Are all head injuries more likely to lead to dementia or are there certain types that do? Are a handful of bigger hits to the head over a career more or less damaging than a lot of smaller head hits sustained consistently over a career?

Understanding all of the possible mechanisms can help inform players and possibly help tweak rules to mitigate the known risk factors through rule changes.

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