CTE Prevalence Among Deceased NFL Players Revealed

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal has found that nearly one in four deceased NFL players had brain disease, with a staggering 97.7% of players who died between 2016 and 2021 potentially having had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated blows to the head.

Researchers from Harvard Medical School analyzed the brains of 235 former NFL players who donated their brains to research after death, finding that 215 of them had CTE, and also discovered a high prevalence of dementia among the brain donors.

• 97.7% of deceased NFL players potentially had CTE
• 24.5% minimum CTE prevalence among deceased players
• 215 out of 235 brain donors had CTE
• Dementia was common among brain donors

Harvard Medical School Research Findings

The study’s lead author, Daniel Daneshvar, noted that the findings indicate a higher prevalence of CTE among NFL players than previously shown, with a four times higher rate of death from neurodegenerative disease compared to the general population.

“We and others have shown that in NFL players, specifically, there is about a four times higher rate of death from neurodegenerative disease than the general population,” said Daneshvar.

Daneshvar’s Statement on CTE Prevalence

Daneshvar emphasized that the bulk of head impacts experienced by former NFL players occurred at the collegiate, high school, and youth levels, cumulatively increasing the risk of CTE.

NFL Response and Prevention Measures

An NFL spokesperson stated that the league continuously strives to make the game safer, including implementing strategies to reduce concussions and head impacts, and remains committed to providing resources for former players to enhance their physical and mental well-being.

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