In a few days, one of the sporting highlights of the year will take place: the Super Bowl. A study by Boston University wants to draw attention to the fact that athletes in the NFL not only enjoy fame, but are also threatened with long-term damage to their health.

It is well known that football can be hazardous to health, and many professionals accept this.

But researchers at Boston University have now found out in a study how frighteningly high the probability of consequential damage can be.

They examined the brains of 376 deceased former NFL players for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease that can occur after repeated head trauma.

The result of the tests: Researchers diagnosed 345 of the brains, about 92 percent, with the disease, which can lead to depression, anxiety disorder, aggression and dementia, among other symptoms.

Head injuries in the NFL: study warns of high CTE risk

That the study was released just before the 2023 Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles is intentional, says Ann McKee, director of the university’s CTE Centre and chief of neuropathology at the VA Boston Healthcare System.

“It’s a reminder of how complacent we’ve become,” she said in an interview with The Brink. “The NFL has done nothing significant to prevent or diagnose CTE, the risk is still there. The risk is high. That’s why we released it this week. “

CTE in ex-NFL stars: a former Super Bowl winner is affected

Among the players found to have CTE was a former member of each team in this year’s Super Bowl.

Rick Arrington, the former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, was diagnosed with the brain disease, as was Ed Lothamer, once a Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman and winner of his fourth Super Bowl.

In the current season, the NFL’s failure in the case of Tua Tagovailoa caused particular horror. The Miami Dolphins quarterback kept returning to the field even after suffering multiple head injuries.