Rugby players risk suffering from dementia in later life, says study

An UK study has reportedly revealed that players of high impact sports like rugby run a greater risk of dementia in later life.

According to the Courier Mail, neurologist Dr Willie Stewart said that high impact sports such as American football, ice hockey and rugby are starting to lead to problems later in life usually associated with former boxers.

According to Stewart, he found abnormal proteins associated with head injuries and dementia when he examined sections of brain tissue of a brain of a former rugby player, adding that the player was found to have higher levels of the protein than a retired amateur boxer who has dementia pugilistica, also known as punch drunk syndrome.

The report also said that although the percentage of rugby players affected is likely to be lower than other high impact sports where concussion is common, it however, remains a concern.

Stewart, who is based at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow, further said that the damage starts with a build up of a protein on the nerve cells in the brain that normally appears in Alzheimer's cases and is associated with the brain not working properly, which causes memory and personality problems.

Stewart therefore urged players and organisers to take better precautions.