Troubling Boston University study shows 75% of ex-NFL players who died over recent 15-year period had CTE

In a recent study by Boston University about the NFL and CTE, a troubling revelation has surfaced: 75% of former football players who died in a recent 15-year stretch had signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

The study, which was published in JAMA Network Open, showed that three-quarters of former NFL players who died from 2008 to 2023 had signs of CTE.

“Providing a precise estimate for the prevalence of CTE among deceased NFL players helps define the scale of the problem and informs priorities for the potential current and future medical needs of this community,” said PhD candidate in biostatistics at Boston University College of Arts & Sciences and School of Public Health Julia Gallini, who is also the study's lead author. “With CTE consistently found in less than 1 percent of donors to community brain banks, an estimated 75 percent prevalence among NFL players who died over a 16-year period is concerning, and suggests we need to increase efforts to support families, diagnose CTE during life, and treat CTE-related symptoms.”

Sadly, this is not that surprising. A recent study by The New York Times showed that at least 25% of NFL players get CTE. However, ex-center Randy Grimes said that “the real number is a lot bigger.”

The Times' study considered 878 former players who died from 2016 to 2021. “Some” of them died in their 20s, while others were in their 80s. Unfortunately, “most” of the players studied passed away “in between” those ages.

CTE is caused by repeated blows to the head. At this time, the disease can only be diagnosed posthumously. According to the Times, the rate of those who suffer from CTE without having sustained repeated blows to the head is “nearly zero.”

The disease was first discovered in boxers almost a century ago. It was originally called “dementia pugilistica” due to the symptoms, which include memory loss, confusion, and uncharacteristic mood swings.

According to the Boston University study, not all players with CTE pathology will develop symptoms, especially in cases of early-stage disease. Still, NFL players develop dementia at four times the average rate of the general population.