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Neurodegenerative Disease Mortality among Former Professional Soccer Players
Mackay DF, Russell ER, Stewart K, MacLean JA, Pell JP, Stewart W.. The New England journal of medicine, 2019-10-21
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Neurodegenerative disorders have been reported in elite athletes who participated in contact sports. The incidence of neurodegenerative disease among former professional soccer players has not been well characterized. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study to compare mortality from neurodegenerative disease among 7676 former professional soccer players (identified from databases of Scottish players) with that among 23,028 controls from the general population who were matched to the players on the basis of sex, age, and degree of social deprivation. Causes of death were determined from death certificates. Data on medications dispensed for the treatment of dementia in the two cohorts were also compared. Prescription information was obtained from the national Prescribing Information System. Results Over a median of 18 years, 1180 former soccer players (15.4%) and 3807 controls (16.5%) died. All-cause mortality was lower among former players than among controls up to the age of 70 years and was higher thereafter. Mortality from ischemic heart disease was lower among former players than among controls (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66 to 0.97; P = 0.02), as was mortality from lung cancer (hazard ratio, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.70; P Conclusions In this retrospective epidemiologic analysis, mortality from neurodegenerative disease was higher and mortality from other common diseases lower among former Scottish professional soccer players than among matched controls. Dementia-related medications were prescribed more frequently to former players than to controls. These observations need to be confirmed in prospective matched-cohort studies. (Funded by the Football Association and Professional Footballers' Association.).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Mackay, D. F., Russell, E. R., Stewart, K., MacLean, J. A., Pell, J. P., & Stewart, W. (2019). Neurodegenerative Disease Mortality among Former Professional Soccer Players. The New England journal of medicine. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa1908483
Vancouver
Mackay DF, Russell ER, Stewart K, MacLean JA, Pell JP, Stewart W. Neurodegenerative Disease Mortality among Former Professional Soccer Players. The New England journal of medicine. 2019. doi:10.1056/nejmoa1908483. PMID: 31633894.
BibTeX
@article{mackay2019-31633894,
author = {Mackay, D. F. and Russell, E. R. and Stewart, K. and MacLean, J. A. and Pell, J. P. and Stewart, W.},
title = {{Neurodegenerative Disease Mortality among Former Professional Soccer Players}},
journal = {The New England journal of medicine},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.1056/nejmoa1908483},
pmid = {31633894},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa1908483}
}
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Key findings
- Results Over a median of 18 years, 1180 former soccer players (15.4%) and 3807 controls (16.5%) died.
Why it matters
Former professional soccer players had higher mortality from neurodegenerative disease than matched controls, though all-cause mortality was lower before age 70. This is an observational comparison of death records and does not show that soccer causes dementia or how to prevent it.
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Study details
- Study designcohort study
- Effect size15.4%; 16.5%
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 67/100
Published in a top-tier journal, and it is a cohort study following people over time. Scored zero for sample size, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 10 / 10 | Tier 1 — top-tier general journal (The New England journal of medicine) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | New England Journal of Medicine: journal h-index 1,505 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A cohort study following people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2019 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 483 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 53.7 citations a year over 9 year(s) since 2019 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 36.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 6 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 170 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author William B. Stewart Jr.: h-index 72 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Glasgow: institution h-index 1,600 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 31633894) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 67 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1056/nejmoa1908483
- PubMed: 31633894
- Original source →
- Free full text: New England Journal of Medicine →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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