Parkinson’s threat rises by 50% if you’re KO’d
A MILD concussion from being knocked out just once may raise risk of Parkinson’s disease by over 50%.
The long-term danger of head blows is in the spotlight as evidence mounts of sportsmen being more prone to degenerative brain conditions in later life.
Previous studies found a link between moderate to severe traumatic brain injury and raised risk of conditions such as Parkinson’s. But research on 326,000
former US service personnel, half of whom had suffered a brain injury, has now shown even mild trauma led to a 56% increase in cases.
Raquel Gardner, of the University of California, said: “The results may have important implications for athletes and the general public.”
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali, whose professional career spanned 21 years, battled Parkinson’s, dying aged 74 in 2016. And West Brom forward Jeff Astle, renowned as a great header of the ball, died aged 59 in 2002 after suffering a degenerative brain condition.
The US study defined mild traumatic brain injury as being unconscious for up to 30 minutes, or altered consciousness or amnesia for up to 24 hours..
The group of veterans was followed for 12 years and 1,462 developed Parkinson’s. The study found 360, or 0.47%, of the 76,297 who had a mild brain injury were hit by the disease, compared with 513, or 0.31%, of the 163,000 with no brain injury.