Retired NFL players who had more than 10 concussions during their careers may be at a greater risk of having a stroke, new research suggests.
The study is the first of its kind to investigate repeat concussions and stroke risk among former players.
The research published in Stroke looked at 979 retired American football stars who had played at least a year in the NFL.
The players self-reported incidents of concussion and stroke.
The group’s stroke frequency of 3.4 per cent was lower than average.
However, the odds of having a stroke was 5.5 times higher among the 27 per cent of the retired NFL players who had had at least 10 concussions.
Lead author Benjamin Brett, clinical neuropsychologist and assistant professor in neurosurgery and neurology at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, said:
“There’s been an emphasis on concussion and CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), but less attention to concussion and other neurologic conditions such as stroke.”
While the study does not prove that repeat concussions cause strokes, the findings do warrant further research, an expert not involved in the research said.
Dr. Farzenah A. Sorond, stroke lead at the department of neurology at Northwestern University in Chicago, said:
“It leaves us with more questions, such as does concussion cause vascular problems independent of other risk factors?
“There are signals that concussion could be a modifiable risk factor if we understood it better.”
The researchers concluded that the cohort could benefit from clinical management of heart and brain health.
Meanwhile, more follow up exams and advanced imaging could help physicians develop individualised care plans, Brett added.
He said: “I hope these findings mobilize people to do something about modifiable factors and get treatments that will help.”
Sorond added: “We can provide more screening and vascular evaluation for those with more concussions.
“Better neurological profiles are the key to really teasing outcomes and mechanisms, ultimately for prevention.”
The researchers will continue to evaluate the long-term effects of concussion and other neurological problems in a larger group of NFL players.
