A recent study showed that 87 out of 91 deceased NFL players were positive with the brain disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), as per a report from Frontline.
According to researchers from the Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University, CTE was present in 96 percent of NFL players and 79 percent of all football players.
The BU Center notes that CTE is a "progressive degenerative disease" in the brain, which is prevalent among athletes or other people that have experienced "repetitive brain trauma, including symptomatic concussions as well as asymptomatic subconcussive hits to the head." CTE happens when brain tissue degenerates progressively and builds up an abnormal protein called tau. Trauma to the head commonly triggers the degeneration.
The site further says that since the 1920s, the said brain disease has been known to affect boxers. However, it was just recently discovered that retired athletes in other sports such as football can also be affected by CTE. Results may lead to memory loss, depression and dementia, as per Frontline.
The study found out that 131 out of 165 people, who have played football (professionally or not), suffered from CTE, 40 percent of which were offensive and defensive linemen.
The results are in line with past studies that reveal that regular head traumas of football players have a greater risk of CTE than a few head collisions.
Another researcher with a similar study, Dr. Ann McKee, said regarding the alarming results, "Playing football, and the higher the level you play football and the longer you play football, the higher your risk," per a separate report from Frontline.
"People think that we’re blowing this out of proportion, that this is a very rare disease and that we’re sensationalizing it. My response is that where I sit, this is a very real disease. We have had no problem identifying it in hundreds of players."
McKee also told Frontline that her biggest goal is to "convince people" that CTE exists. She said, “People want to make this just Alzheimer’s disease or aging and not really a disease. I think there’s fewer of those people, but that’s still one of our major hurdles.”
Because of these results, an NFL spokesman released a statement from the organization, which said: "We are dedicated to making football safer and continue to take steps to protect players, including rule changes, advanced sideline technology, and expanded medical resources. We continue to make significant investments in independent research through our gifts to Boston University, the [National Institutes of Health] and other efforts to accelerate the science and understanding of these issues."