Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Leah H. Rubin, Yong Du, Shannon Eileen Sweeney, Riley O'Toole, Cykyra L. Thomas, Adeline G. Zandi, Laura K. Shinehouse, Mary Katherine Brosnan, Hwanhee Nam, Michael E. Burke, Samantha C. Bureau, Jessica J. Kilgore, Mark Yoon, Ana R. Soule, Wojciech G. Lesniak, Il Minn, Steven P. Rowe, Daniel P. Holt, Andrew W. Hall, William B. Mathews, Gwenn S. Smith, Christopher J. Nowinski, Michael Kassiou, Robert F. Dannals, Martin G. Pomper, Jennifer M. Coughlin
Summary: This study aimed to test for higher TSPO levels that mark brain injury and repair in a relatively large, unique cohort of former NFL players compared with former elite, noncollision sport athletes. The study found that the regional TSPO levels were higher in former NFL players compared with former elite, noncollision sport athletes.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Michael J. Lopez, Christina Mack, Thompson Bliss, Erin B. Wasserman, Emily Myers, Gary Solomon, John Lynch, Anthony Casolaro, Michael Osterholm, Dan Hanfling, Thom Mayer, Allen K. Sills
Summary: The strict protocols implemented by the NFL and NFLPA during the 2020 season, including regulations for team facilities, travel, gameday, and activities outside of work, contributed to lower infection rates among NFL players compared to the surrounding community.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Benjamin L. Brett, Zachary Y. Kerr, Neelum T. Aggarwal, Avinash Chandran, Rebekah Mannix, Samuel Walton, J. D. DeFreese, Ruben J. Echemendia, Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Michael A. McCrea, William P. Meehan
Summary: This study found that the prevalence of stroke among former National Football League players aged >= 50 years was lower than the general population, with significantly increased risk among those with 10 or more prior concussions. The findings add to the evidence suggesting that traumatic brain injuries are associated with increased risk of stroke. Clinically, management of cardio- and cerebrovascular health may be pertinent to those with a history of multiple prior concussions.
Article
Sport Sciences
Nigel A. Smith, Melinda M. Franettovich Smith, Matthew N. Bourne, Rod S. Barrett, Julie A. Hides
Summary: Increasing age and previous hamstring, groin, and calf injuries are all associated with an elevated risk of subsequent hamstring injury in AFL players.
JOURNAL OF SPORTS SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Eimear M. Foley, Yorghos Tripodis, Eukyung Yhang, Inga K. Koerte, Brett M. Martin, Joseph Palmisano, Nikos Makris, Vivian Schultz, Chris Lepage, Marc Muehlmann, Pawel P. Wrobel, Jeffrey P. Guenette, Robert C. Cantu, Alexander P. Lin, Michael Coleman, Jesse Mez, Sylvain Bouix, Martha E. Shenton, Robert A. Stern, Michael L. Alosco
Summary: This study examines the association between reserve metrics and cognitive and neuropsychiatric functioning in former professional football players. The study finds that reading ability is associated with attention, episodic memory, fluency, and behavioral regulation. The residual variance in episodic memory and executive functioning is also associated with cognitive performance. Traditional reserve proxies may not be suitable for elite athlete samples, and alternative approaches are needed to quantify reserve.
JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Benjamin L. Brett, Neelum T. Aggarwal, Avinash Chandran, Zachary Yukio Kerr, Samuel R. Walton, J. D. DeFreese, Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ruben J. Echemendia, William P. Meehan III, Michael A. McCrea, Rebekah Mannix
Summary: This study investigated the associations between the LIfestyle for BRAin Health (LIBRA) risk score and the odds of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) diagnosis and cognitive function, considering concussion history. The results showed that high LIBRA scores were significantly associated with an increased risk of MCI. The modified-LIBRA score, which incorporated concussion history, improved the prediction of MCI and accounted for more variance in executive function and episodic memory.
ALZHEIMERS & DEMENTIA
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bhavneet Walia, Brittany L. Kmush, Justin Ehrlich, Madeline Mackowski, Shane Sanders
Summary: The study suggests that entering the NFL at a younger age is associated with an increased risk of early mortality among players, while older players in the League have a lower risk of death.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Satoshi Muraoka, Annina M. DeLeo, Zijian Yang, Harutsugu Tatebe, Kayo Yukawa-Takamatsu, Seiko Ikezu, Takahiko Tokuda, David Issadore, Robert A. Stern, Tsuneya Ikezu
Summary: The study examined the protein profiles of EVs separated from the plasma of former NFL players at risk for CTE, identifying a potential combination of COL6A3, RELN, and COL6A1 as diagnostic biomarkers for CTE. Machine learning analysis showed a high accuracy of 85% in distinguishing former NFL players from controls. This data provides valuable insights into CTE diagnosis and potential biomarkers.
Article
Sport Sciences
Landon B. Lempke, Samuel R. Walton, Benjamin L. Brett, Avinash Chandran, J. D. DeFreese, Rebekah Mannix, Ruben J. Echemendia, Michael A. McCrea, Kevin M. Guskiewicz, William P. Meehan, Zachary Yukio Kerr
Summary: This study examined the associations between the age of first exposure to American football participation and measures of cognitive, behavioral, and physical function, as well as brain-related medical diagnoses in former National Football League players. The findings showed that the age of first exposure was significantly associated with certain PROMIS outcomes, indicating its impact on health-related quality of life in this cohort. However, it was not associated with diagnoses. This suggests that the age of first exposure is a minor contributing factor for the long-term outcomes associated with football participation.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Jennifer Sacramento-Pacheco, Maria Begona Sanchez-Gomez, Juan Gomez-Salgado, Maria Mercedes Novo-Munoz, Gonzalo Duarte-Climents
Summary: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in Spain, mainly due to the lack of control of cardiovascular risk factors. The prevalence of these risk factors varies across different autonomous regions in Spain, with high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, overweight, and obesity being the most common.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Sport Sciences
Danny M. Pincivero, Joshua Vandeweerd
Summary: The study examined the relationship between fitness testing and draft order on professional performance of defensive national players in the Canadian Football League. Results showed that the broad jump and 40-yard dash were significant predictors for defensive linemen and linebackers, indicating low-to-moderate predictability for future performance in these positions.
JOURNAL OF STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Daniel H. Daneshvar, Jesse Mez, Michael L. Alosco, Zachary H. Baucom, Ian Mahar, Christine M. Baugh, Jhaqueline P. Valle, Jennifer Weuve, Sabrina Paganoni, Robert C. Cantu, Ross D. Zafonte, Robert A. Stern, Thor D. Stein, Yorghos Tripodis, Christopher J. Nowinski, Ann C. McKee
Summary: The study found that the incidence and mortality of ALS among NFL players were significantly higher than the general population. Athletes diagnosed with ALS had longer NFL careers, suggesting a link between NFL duration of play and the disease. These risk factors help inform research on the pathophysiological mechanisms of ALS.
Article
Sport Sciences
Donald R. Dengel, Nicholas G. Evanoff
Summary: The study examined the muscle-to-bone ratio (MBR) in National Football League (NFL) players. It found that NFL players had lower body fat percentage but higher total fat mass, lean mass, bone mineral content, and bone mineral density compared to the control group. NFL players had higher arm MBR but lower trunk and total MBR. Leg MBR did not significantly differ between NFL players and controls. There were variations in leg MBR among NFL players based on their position.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPORTS MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Orthopedics
Michael O. Cotton, Joseph M. Sliepka, Derek M. Klavas, Patrick C. McCulloch, Joshua D. Harris, Robert A. Jack
Summary: The study found that NFL players have a high rate of return to sport after open fractures, with injured players showing no significant differences in career length, games played per season, and performance compared to matched controls. Players with upper extremity fractures had a faster return to sport time, higher return to sport rate, and improved postinjury performance compared to players with lower extremity fractures.
ORTHOPAEDIC JOURNAL OF SPORTS MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Minglan Wu, Liying Shen, Qiqi Wang, Li Liu, Sen Lu, Jianmei Jin, Zhen Dai, Zheyue Shu
Summary: This study investigated the prevalence of anxiety and depression and associated risk factors among cardiovascular disease patients during the post-COVID-19 period. The results showed that marital status and treatment interruption during the pandemic were independent risk factors for anxiety and depression. Additionally, current monthly income and access to telemedicine during the pandemic were independent risk factors for anxiety.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)