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1 in 4 former NFL players who died from 2016 to 2021 had CTE, study estimates

  • On Tuesday, a study published in the British Medical Journal estimated at least 25% of former National Football League players who died between 2016 and 2021 suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy , a degenerative brain disease.
  • Chronic traumatic encephalopathy can only be diagnosed through post-mortem autopsy; researchers calculated the 25% figure by analyzing brain donations and death records for 878 former players who died during that six-year study period.
  • Dr. Daniel Daneshvar, the study's lead author at Mass General Brigham, reported that CTE severity at death significantly correlates with dementia; roughly 61.3% of brain donors with the disease met clinical criteria for dementia before their deaths.
  • Daneshvar urged teams at all levels—youth, high school, and college—to reduce cumulative head impacts during practice, arguing that nearly 70% of impacts occur in practice rather than games.
  • While an NFL spokesperson stated the league "continuously strives to make the game of football safer," researchers suggest the actual CTE prevalence could range from 24.5% to 97.7%, indicating further studies are needed.
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abc 13 Houstonabc 13 Houston
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Study suggests at least 1 in 4 former NFL players may have CTE

At least 1 in 4 former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 may have had CTE, according to a new study published Monday in The BMJ.

·Houston, United States
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Lean Right

American Football is a full-contact sport - with enormous risk. Researchers publish new findings on brain diseases in the sport. Thus, many more deceased professionals show brain changes than previously thought.

Lean Left

A new devastating study by British Medical Journal shows that 25% of football players are affected by ETC symptoms

·Montreal, Canada
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npr broke the news in Washington, United States on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
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