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Correlates of White Matter Hyperintensities ID'd for Former Football Players

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Dec 21, 2023.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Dec. 21, 2023 -- Vascular risk factors and biological correlates of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) differ for former American football players and asymptomatic, unexposed men, according to a study published online Dec. 20 in Neurology.

Monica T. Ly, Ph.D., from the VA San Diego Healthcare System, and colleagues examined biological correlates of WMH in former American football players, including markers of amyloid, tau, inflammation, axonal injury, neurodegeneration, and vascular health. Participants underwent clinical interviews, magnetic resonance imaging, and lumbar puncture.

The researchers found that higher log(total fluid-attenuated inversion recovery lesion volumes [TLV]) had direct associations with a higher revised Framingham stroke risk profile (rFSRP) score, higher p-tau181, lower fractional anisotropy (FA), and reduced cortical thickness in 180 former football players (B = 0.26, 0.17, −0.28, and −0.25, respectively). No direct effects were seen on log(TLV) in 60 asymptomatic unexposed men. Stronger associations between log(TLV) and rFSRP, p-tau181, and FA were seen for former football players versus unexposed men (difference in estimates, 1,069, 158, and 287 percent, respectively).

"The current findings suggest that WMH may have specific risk factor and biologic correlates in former football players," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

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Posted December 2023

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