Key result
Association football significantly increased the odds of developing any neurodegenerative disease compared to control populations (OR 1.69; 95% CI 1.11-2.59; p=0.01).
Why the study?
There is increasing concern that head injuries in Association Football may lead to adverse health outcomes, warranting evaluation of whether head impacts or injuries increase the risk of neurodegenerative disease.
Do head impacts or injuries in Association Football increase the risk of neurodegenerative disease compared to control athletic and general populations?
Meta-Analysis
Do head impacts or injuries in Association Football increase the risk of neurodegenerative disease compared to control athletic and general populations?
Odds Ratio: 1.69 (95% CI 1.11–2.59)
p-value: p=0.01
Professional football is associated with significantly increased odds of developing neurodegenerative diseases, particularly dementia.
There is increasing concern that head injuries in Association Football (or soccer) may lead to adverse health outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine whether head impacts or injuries are associated with an increased risk of neurodegenerative disease. We performed a systematic search using PubMed, Embase, and Ovid (up to April 2025). Studies included investigated neurodegenerative diseases in football in comparison to control athletic and general populations. Data were extracted according to PRISMA guidelines. Studies with an odds ratio (OR) were included in the meta-analysis. A total of ten studies were included in this review, of which nine were suitable for meta-analysis from eight cohorts. The risk for developing any neurodegeneration was 1.69 OR (95%CI 1.11 to 2.59; p = 0.01); for Dementia, it was 2.16 OR (95%CI 1.60 to 2.93; p < 0.01; for Motor Neurone Disease (MND), it was 1.39 OR (95%CI 0.67 to 2.53; p = 0.21); for Parkinson’s Disease (PD), it was 1.14 OR (95%CI 0.55 to 2.89; p = 0.79). Heterogeneity was reduced following the removal of two studies and the revised risk scores for any neurodegenerative disease; Dementia increased, with that for MND reaching significance, 1.81 OR (95%CI 1.22 to 2.30; p = 0.01), but there remained no association with PD. Evidence suggests that professional football significantly increases the odds of neurodegenerative disease.
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Howarth et al. (2025) conducted a meta-analysis in Neurodegenerative disease. Association Football vs. Control athletic and general populations was evaluated on Any neurodegenerative disease (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.11-2.59, p=0.01). Association football significantly increased the odds of developing any neurodegenerative disease compared to control populations (OR 1.69; 95% CI 1.11-2.59; p=0.01).
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