At least 25% of former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), study finds
For years, as researchers have established a link between repeated impacts to the head and the degenerative brain disease known as CTE, one major question has loomed: Just how common is it — especially among high-risk groups, like professional football players?
A new study from researchers at Mass General Brigham, published Tuesday in the prominent medical journal The BMJ, seeks to establish a more accurate baseline of CTE prevalence among retired NFL players who have died. Of football players who appeared in at least one NFL game in their careers and who died between 2016 and 2021, the study found that a minimum of around 25% had CTE upon their death.
"We've known that this disease process can be caused by, in part, repeated traumatic brain injury. But we didn't know how common it was," said Dr. Daniel Daneshvar, the study's lead author.
https://www.npr.org/2026/08/25/nx-s1-5943168/cte-nfl-concussions-deaths-studyOpen linkView original on lemmy.world
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It's weird people treat this as a binary disorder...
Like everything it's a spectrum, and most adults will rack some up.
A propensity for it would have even been an evolutionary advantage for much of human history. If fights (against humans or animals) were frequent, it led to increased aggression and faster escalation to violence in future interactions.
Which would have been the correct response.
And much more relevant: is the exact same response that sets players apart from others on the field and make it to the next level. The easier you rack up CTE, the harder you play, so the longer you play.
It's a feedback loop. One that incredibly wealthy oligarchs make billions off of annually.