Could Living Football Players Be Overdiagnosed for CTE?

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• October 6, 2023
• Full Page

Former pro football players with symptoms of depression or anxiety are far more likely to receive an unverifiable diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) than players without those mental health conditions, a new study reports.

Players with depression are 9.5...

Brain Trauma Could Help Trigger Heart Troubles

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• September 22, 2023
• Full Page

While the neurological impact of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) has long been studied, new research suggests TBIs are also hard on the heart.

The research team took a closer look at connections between the two organs, finding that nervous system dysfunction, neuro-infla...

Even a Mild Head Injury Raises the Odds for Stroke

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• September 13, 2023
• Full Page

Any head injury -- even a mild one -- raises a person's risk of later having an ischemic stroke.

Having multiple injuries increases that risk, even more so than the severity of a single traumatic brain injury (TBI), researchers report.

"Our study found that those ...

Autopsy Study of Athletes Who Died Young Shows Many Had Signs of CTE

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• August 29, 2023
• Full Page

The degenerative brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) may be striking some at much younger ages than thought possible: New research has uncovered early signs of the condition in amateur athletes who died young after playing contact sports.

The tr...

Suicides Among U.S. Veterans Jumped 10-Fold in Decades After 9/11

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• August 28, 2023
• Full Page

Suicide has become an urgent issue among American military veterans, with rates increasing by more than 10 times in nearly two decades, a new study reveals.

"Suicide rates for post-9/11 veterans have steadily increased over the last 15 years and at a much faster pace tha...

Playing Football Might Raise Parkinson's Risk

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• August 11, 2023
• Full Page

The link between pro football and the risk for a neurodegenerative disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is well known, and now a new study suggests that football may also up the risk for Parkinson's disease, even among past high school and college players.

Here's How to Make Summer Sports Camp a Safe Adventure for Your Kid

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• July 19, 2023
• Full Page

If your child is in sports camp this summer, you'll want them to have fun and stay safe.

The National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) offers some tips on dealing with existing medical conditions, staying hydrated and heat safe, avoiding weather dangers and protecti...

New Ways to Spot Risk for CTE in Boxers, MMA Fighters

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• June 29, 2023
• Full Page

Autopsy is currently the only way to definitively diagnose chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease often seen in athletes who've suffered repeated blows to the head.

But there may be a way to predict which athletes are likely to develop CTE, ...

Obesity Could Slow Recovery From a Head Injury

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• June 28, 2023
• Full Page

Obesity is a known contributor to a host of health risks ranging from diabetes to cancer, but new research suggests it may also delay recovery from a mild traumatic brain injury.

Why? The systemic inflammation that being obese can cause in the body may be a driving facto...

Head Injury Outcomes Could Take Years to Unfold

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• June 22, 2023
• Full Page

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can have long-term effects, much like a chronic condition, a new study says.

Looking at hundreds of patients, researchers found that problems related to traumatic brain injuries can last for years, with people improving and declining at dif...

Women's Gymnastics Brings High Risk for Concussion

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• June 7, 2023
• Full Page

Gymnasts make it look easy, but mastering those floor exercises and balance beam moves can take a toll on the brain.

Researchers studying preseason and regular season concussion rates in college sports found that women's gymnastics led all others for its concussion rate ...

With Training, Soccer Headers Might Be Safe for Teen Players

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• May 29, 2023
• Full Page

Limited "heading" of a soccer ball in youth sports may not cause irreversible harm, as long as players are properly trained, a new study finds.

This study from concussion researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) looked at the consequences of repeated he...

New 'National Sports Brain Bank' Will Boost Head Injury Research

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• May 19, 2023
• Full Page

A new brain bank is accepting future donations from living athletes, in an effort to perform long-term research into the effects of sports-related concussion.

The National Sports Br...

For NHL Players, More Fighting on the Ice Is Linked to Shorter Lives

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• May 11, 2023
• Full Page

Fighting is par for the course in professional ice hockey, but a new study raises the question of whether it is shortening some players' lives.

The study, of hundreds of Na...

Multiple Head Injuries May Raise Alzheimer's Risk for Veterans

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• May 9, 2023
• Full Page

People who repeatedly suffer traumatic brain injuries (TBI) may be more apt to develop Alzheimer's disease, new research shows.

TBI can result from direct hits to the head or from indirect sources such as shockwaves from battlefield explosions.

The brains of otherw...

Dog-Walking Downside: Fractures, Head Injuries

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• April 27, 2023
• Full Page

Walking your dog gets you moving and out in the fresh air, but head injuries and fractures are very real possibilities, especially for older dog owners, researchers say.

The most common injury from walking a leashed dog that sends folks to the ER is fractured fingers, a ...

Concussion's Effect on Brain Can Last 6 Months or More

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• April 26, 2023
• Full Page

A significant number of patients take far longer to recover from a concussion than expected, and they may not be getting the care they need, according to a new study.

Researchers from the United Kingdom who studied concussion patients found that almost half had changes i...

Sen. Mitch McConnell Leaves Rehab, Heads Home After Concussion

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• March 27, 2023
• Full Page

Sen. Mitch McConnell is back home more than two weeks after he fell at a private dinner and was hospitalized with a concussion and broken rib.

The Senate Minority Leader spent five days in the hospital and the remainder of the 2-1/2 weeks following his fall in inpatient...

Dementia Risk Rises for Elite European Soccer Players

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• March 17, 2023
• Full Page

It's well-established that American football players can suffer significant brain impacts as they age.

Now, new research shows that elite European soccer players are also more likely than the average person to develop dementia.

Men in the Swedish top soccer divisio...

Falls Can Be More Dangerous for Older Men Than for Women

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• March 10, 2023
• Full Page

While older women are treated for falls more often than elderly males, men are more likely to sustain skull fractures when they topple over, new research suggests.

This is a serious concern because more than 3 million people aged 65 and older are treated in U.S. emergenc...

Breathing Exercises Might Speed Concussion Recovery in Teens

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• February 22, 2023
• Full Page

Combining breathing exercises with gradual aerobic activity may benefit teens who are recovering slowly from a concussion.

New research found that while the two therapies each offer benefits, together they led to even greater improvement in thinking and memory skills, de...