The League

Study Finds High Dementia, Arthritis Rates

UPDATED (3:45 p.m.)...

A study commissioned by the NFL to assess the health and well-being of retired players found that they reported being diagnosed with dementia and other memory-related diseases at a rate significantly higher than that of the general population.

The study also found a greatly increased rate of arthritis being reported by the former NFL players but found reduced rates of diabetes, heart attacks and strokes.

The 37-page study was conducted by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research and its findings were based on a telephone survey of 1,063 retired NFL players conducted last November and December.

Researchers found that 6.1 percent of retired NFL players age 50 and above reported receiving a diagnosis of dementia, Alzheimer's disease or other memory-related disease, compared to 1.2 percent for all comparably aged U.S. men, and 1.9 percent of players ages 30 to 49 indicated they'd received such a diagnosis, compared to 0.1 percent for the general population.

The researchers wrote in the study that assessing rates of dementia through a phone survey can be problematic.

"We did not administer cognitive tests and did not conduct neurological examinations," the researchers wrote. "The only information we collected about dementia was to ask the respondent (or proxy) if they had ever been diagnosed with 'dementia, Alzheimer's disease, or other memory-related disease.'... The vague category of memory-related disease makes the interpretation of this question somewhat difficult."

The researchers concluded that "further research on this issue is warranted."

Greg Aiello, the NFL's senior vice president of public relations, said that further research by the league on the topic "already is under way," also pointing out that the issue was covered in only two paragraphs of the 37-page study and the report "acknowledges significant limitations of the survey in this area."

In a written statement, Aiello said: "The survey did not diagnose dementia but relied on self-reporting or family proxy reporting on a retired player's memory and it also noted that diseases of memory are rare in both the general population and NFL retirees. Despite those facts, the study recommends further research based on the reported numbers (1.9 percent of NFL retirees 30-39 and 6.1 percent of NFL retirees 50+) and that already is under way. Memory disorders affect many men and women who never played football or other sports. We are trying to understand it as it relates to our retired players.

"The survey makes no link between concussions and memory disorders. Concussion as one of many potential factors in memory disorders is being studied throughout the medical community, including our own study on the long-term effects of concussions on retired players. Meanwhile, our focus is also on the proper prevention and treatment of concussions in today's game. We do this through rules changes and enforcement; education of players, their families, coaches and team personnel; and ensuring that our players have the best medical care available. Our medical staffs take a cautious and conservative approach to managing concussions, including expanded use of neuropsychological testing and return-to-play guidelines."

The New York Times first reported the study's findings.

"The survey method is an established method to gather information," Chris Nowinski, the co-director of a Boston University medical school program that studies brain injuries in sports, said by telephone Wednesday. "I think in this situation we can believe the data. This is a major public health problem we're facing. The fact is, you've got a 19 times greater risk [for former players ages 30 to 49 to have been diagnosed with a memory-related disease]. It's frightening."

Nowinski said the problem of brain injuries among football players should be addressed through rule changes, increased training on tackling techniques, streamlined practice routines with decreased contact, further research on possible equipment changes and improved care and management of players' concussions.

"They can't say [this study] was done poorly," Nowinski said of the NFL. "They must have signed off on the methodology. They can't dispute their own findings. They've got to deal with this and they've got to deal with it in a radical manner. They're now accountable to deal with this."

The study found that 41.3 percent of NFL retirees ages 30 to 49 reported suffering from arthritis, compared to 8.7 percent for the general population, and 62.4 percent of older former players reported having arthritis, compared to 32 percent of all comparably aged U.S. men.

On other health issues, former players reported faring better than the population as a whole. According to the study, NFL retirees reported fewer heart attacks and strokes than comparably aged men in the general population, and they were less likely to report angina, chest pain related to arterial blockage.

The rate of reported diabetes among former NFL players was lower than that of the entire population. Only 2.5 percent of NFL retirees 30 to 49 reported suffering from diabetes, compared to 4.7 percent for the general population; 10.5 percent of NFL retirees 50 and older reported having diabetes, compared to 17.3 percent for the general population.

Researchers wrote that the rates of kidney and urinary problems reported by NFL retirees were comparable to the rates for U.S. men as a whole. The reported rate of ulcers was comparable for younger retirees and lower for older retirees. The rate of reported cancer was higher than that of the general population.

The study found that, on the subject of obesity, 56 percent of NFL retirees 30 to 49 reported having a body mass index of greater than 30, a standard for obesity, compared to 32.1 percent of all comparably aged U.S. men. That figure was 49.3 percent for older former players, compared to 28.5 percent for the entire population.

But the researchers wrote that BMI "may be an especially poor measure for this population which we might reasonably expect to be heavily muscled."

The researchers wrote in general of their methodology: "Some limitations must be noted. Surveys do not directly diagnose disease or measure performance. They ask questions about diagnosis and perceived ability. A population of professional athletes, for whom physical performance was critical to success, may well be more medically aware and knowledgeable than the general population."

The researchers also wrote in summarizing their findings: "The study finds retired players to be in very good stead, overall. They are satisfied with life and deeply connected within their social networks and communities. Their history of physical fitness (including low rates of smoking and high rates of physical activity) shows up in lower rates of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. On most other health problems they are similar to or healthier than the general population. However, they do have much higher rates of arthritis and reported pain and mobility problems than the general population. Retired players are in good financial shape overall, although there are small percentages of retired players who report financial difficulty."

Aiello, the NFL's spokesman, said in his written statement: "As part of our overall initiative to assist retired NFL players, we commissioned a telephone survey by the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. The institute is releasing its report today. The primary purpose was to get a better look at the overall condition of retired players and identify specific areas where we can further address their needs.

"The survey found that playing in the NFL was a very positive experience for most retired players and that overall they are in very good physical and financial condition. Their history of physical fitness shows up in lower rates of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. On most other health problems they are similar to or healthier than the general population, the survey noted. We are carefully reviewing the information and sharing it with others to assist our work on behalf of retired players."

By Mark Maske  |  September 30, 2009; 1:54 PM ET  | Category:  League Save & Share:                 
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