Health Council: Main contact in Sport increases the risk of dementia

Many heads in football are related to an increased risk of dementia, among other things. Main contact in Sport, with a ball or with fellow players, must therefore be limited with both pros and with amateurs. That concludes The Dutch Health Council In a report published Thursday.

Footballers, martial artists and rugby players regularly touch a ball or a fellow player during exercise. In 2003, the Health Council concluded that there were indications that frequent main contact can lead to chronic brain injury in the long term.

At the request of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS), the Health Council now provides the advice again. In addition to an increased risk of dementia, there is also a lot of main contact in sport in connection with the development of muscle disease ALS and Parkinson’s disease.

After the summer, the Dutch Sports Council will come up with an advice for any concrete actions that the government can take. An age limit for headlines in football, as other countries already use, is possible. There are also looking at game rule changes and the use of lighter training balls.

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