Alzheimer’s Disease, Brain Disease Will Affect 28 Percent Of NFL Players

Alzheimer’s disease, as well as other brain diseases, affects at least 28 percent of all NFL players in their lifetimes. Tech Times is reporting today that the much-dreaded Alzheimer’s disease strikes many players who have dreamed of making it big as an NFL player, only to come down with onset Alzheimer’s disease during their middle years.

The Alzheimer’s disease study, which was released by the National Football League on Friday, confirmed that 3 out of 10 NFL players would be stricken by a brain disease during their retirement years — brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Parkinson’s disease.

According to the Washington Post, the study states that “14 percent of all former players to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and another 14 percent to develop moderate dementia over the next 65 years.”

People who have been diagnosed with onset Alzeheimer’s disease report having difficulty remembering where they are or tasks that they are supposed to complete. Many Alzheimer disease patients report having to rely heavily on lists and reminder notes for every day tasks.

It is also suspected that long-term emotional stress can cause the onset of Alzheimer’s disease due to high blood pressure, causing cortisol to be dumped into the system when a person is under a lot of stress for quite some time.

According to Examiner, the National Football League tried to keep the connection between NFL players and brain disease a secret, until Dr. Bennet Omalu noticed a series of players suffering with chronic traumatic encephalopathy and decided to blow the whistle. That true story will be brought to the big screen starring Will Smith sometime in 2015.

In the last few weeks, information has come to light showing that anxiety drugs, or benzodiazepines, also increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in adults. Specifically, here is what Sophie Billioti De Gage’s study concluded.

“Benzodiazepine use is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The stronger association observed for long term exposures reinforces the suspicion of a possible direct association, even if benzodiazepine use might also be an early marker of a condition associated with an increased risk of dementia. Unwarranted long term use of these drugs should be considered as a public health concern.”

Currently, Alzheimer’s disease is treated with drugs such as galantamine, donepezil, tacrine, and rivastigmine. The families of some Alzheimer’s patients prefer a more natural and holistic approach. In a previous article by The Inquisitr, vitamin D and fish oil are mentioned as good alternatives for an Alzheimer’s disease patient.

The subject of Alzheimer’s disease is shown in Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys, Madea’s Witness Protection, and in the 2004 movie The Notebook.