A new study estimates that at least one in four former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had the degenerative brain disease CTE. Danish experts call the figures frightening.
DR reported on August 26 that the new research has renewed debate about head injuries in professional American football. Several hundred deceased NFL players have donated their brains to research, according to the broadcaster.
The study was published in the medical journal The BMJ. It estimates that at least one in four former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, known as CTE. DR reports that up to 97 percent of one group of deceased players examined by researchers had the disease.
CTE causes memory loss and several symptoms associated with dementia. Kristian Steen Frederiksen, professor and consultant physician at the Danish Dementia Research Centre, told the DR radio program P1 Morgen that the study is both surprising and frightening. He said the link between repeated blows to the head and dementia symptoms has been known for years, but that the numbers in the study are alarming.
Frederiksen also stressed that the phenomenon is not limited to American football. According to him, it applies to all sports with physical contact where the brain is exposed to blows, including ice hockey, boxing and soccer. He said the disease is also seen in military veterans and in victims of violent relationships.
Tommy Kjærsgaard, an NFL expert, told P1 Morgen that he speaks often with Danish NFL player Hjalte Froholdt, who plays for the Arizona Cardinals. As reported by DR, Froholdt describes the injuries the sport produces on a daily basis without downplaying them. Brain injuries are of a more serious nature, Kjærsgaard said.
Per Kjærsgaard, there will always be a risk in American football. He noted that players have died by suicide because they could not live with the symptoms caused by brain damage. He said he expects the league’s management to be working intensively on reducing injuries.
Helmets and compensation
Kjærsgaard said the NFL has known about the problem for many years and that much has been done on helmet safety. He pointed out that the league gave prominent attention to its new helmets after the study was published, including in an Instagram post shown by DR. The post featured several images of the helmets used as a safety measure in the sport.
According to Kjærsgaard, many believe the NFL addressed the issue too late. He also said the league does not want to pay compensation to players who should have received it. He added that the players’ union is fighting on their behalf.
