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HWN Suggests

Football Is Deadly, but Not for the Reasons You Think

Young former N.F.L. players, mostly linemen, die from heart attacks or heart disease nearly every year...

Scientists believe N.F.L. players are at greater risk of heart disease because of the weight they gain, even when it is mostly muscle. After players retire, it’s extremely difficult for them to lose the football weight, partly because of chronic pain from injuries suffered while playing. (N.F.L. players ages 25 to 39 have about three times the rate of arthritis as the general public.)

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Articles of Interest

Do Former NFL Players Age Faster?

Playing professional sports, including professional football, can have extensive tolls on an athlete's body. According to a recent study released in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, former professional football players, especially linemen, seem to develop age-related diseases at a younger age compared to non-football players in the same demographic.

Examining the potential health dangers of pro football—and how to protect players

Research from our group and others has shown that these conditions may result from weight gain, training, dietary and nutritional factors, as well as potentially result from physiological dysfunction following traumatic orthopedic or brain injuries.

Former professional football players may develop chronic diseases prematurely

“While we understand why these conditions might be more prevalent (eg, as the result of orthopedic or head injury), it is noteworthy that the premature occurrence of these illnesses will detrimentally affect players for more years than their non-National Football League peers,” Rachel Grashow, PhD, MS...

Healthspan and chronic disease burden among young adult and middle-aged male former American-style professional football players

These data suggest the emergence of a maladaptive early ageing phenotype among former professional ASF players characterised by premature burden of chronic disease and reduced healthspan.

NFL Player Opens Up About His Struggle with Chronic Pain and Anxiety: “This Treatment Saved My Life”

The pain and stress of dealing with recovery from major surgeries on his knees, the removal of his large intestine, and the residual pain that comes from a life spent receiving and delivering hard hits on the football field sent Mauti looking for alternatives to traditional pharmaceutical drugs.

Playing in the NFL isn't just harmful on your body but also your mental health

A recent study found that there may be a correlation between the time spent playing in the league and their position and the development of mental illness. The researchers analyzed surveys received from about 3,500 former NFL players with an average age of 53.

Retired football players more likely to report age-related diseases

NFL players, especially former linemen, had fewer disease-free years and earlier high blood pressure and diabetes diagnoses. Two age-related diseases, arthritis and dementia, were also more commonly found in former football players than in other men of the same age.

What a lifetime of playing football can do to the human brain

Six things to know about the NFL, concussions, and brain damage.