Living with dementia...

[MIG]

My father in law has been diagnosed with Dementia - he is in the intial stages of this mental disorder.

To most people dementia is something that old people get due to their age - so forgetfulness is one of those things we associate with it ( Ijaz Butt is an example !)

In actuality, this is a disease like any other. My father in law, for example, will ask the day of the week about 10 times in the day - he will look at my son and say "yeh kon hai" etc - a little funny at the time but we understand that these are the initial stages.

Obviously places stress on the family but this is something we need to face.

Inshallah we will help him through this - its saddening to see an ex engineer slowly losing his edge in front of our eyes but thats what ALLAH has planned for him - thats what will happen.

May ALLAH help us look after our parents in their old age and protect them from such problems - Ameen.

Below are some stats on Dementia - if you know someone or have a parent with this problem - you are not alone.

Statistics
•There are currently 700,000 people with dementia in the UK.
•There are currently 15,000 younger people with dementia in the UK.
•There are over 11,500 people with dementia from black and minority ethnic groups in the UK.
•There will be over a million people with dementia by 2025.
•Two thirds of people with dementia are women.
•The proportion of people with dementia doubles for every 5 year age group.
•One third of people over 95 have dementia.
•60,000 deaths a year are directly attributable to dementia.
•Delaying the onset of dementia by 5 years would reduce deaths directly attributable to dementia by 30,000 a year.
•The financial cost of dementia to the UK is over £17 billion a year.
•Family carers of people with dementia save the UK over £6 billion a year.
•64% of people living in care homes have a form of dementia.
•Two thirds of people with dementia live in the community while one third live in a care home.

 

[Luton Bad Boy]

My father in law has been diagnosed with Dementia - he is in the intial stages of this mental disorder.

To most people dementia is something that old people get due to their age - so forgetfulness is one of those things we associate with it ( Ijaz Butt is an example !)

In actuality, this is a disease like any other. My father in law, for example, will ask the day of the week about 10 times in the day - he will look at my son and say "yeh kon hai" etc - a little funny at the time but we understand that these are the initial stages.

Obviously places stress on the family but this is something we need to face.

Inshallah we will help him through this - its saddening to see an ex engineer slowly losing his edge in front of our eyes but thats what ALLAH has planned for him - thats what will happen.

May ALLAH help us look after our parents in their old age and protect them from such problems - Ameen.

Below are some stats on Dementia - if you know someone or have a parent with this problem - you are not alone.

Ameen - I hope you can help your father in law through his illness and he will remain in my prayers (Inshallah)

 

[Xoib]

How old is he, it seems to be a very common disease for 70+ individuals.

Hope Allah gives him strength to deal with his disease.

 

[MIG]

74

 

[Down2Earth]

it must be the worst feeling for one when their father or mother doesn't recognise them. must hurt a lot.

 

[Ayyub]

everything will be fine take care of them brother .

Human being after passing 60 + age start to act like a kid for example :-musharraf

 

[Genghis]

My grandfather alhmadulillah is into his 90s and only in the last year or two has he started showing signs of dementia. Even now when we call him up and speak to him he does recognise me. He even knows my son's name but has no idea who my wife is.

It makes you realise that you have to make the most of every moment with your elders.

 

[Momo]

May Allah be with you, MIG, and with uncle during this tough ordeal. And may Allah make us all worthy of being good to our parents and keep them in His mercy always.

Hal jazaa'ul ihsaani illal ihsaan.

 

[Luton Bad Boy]

My grandfather alhmadulillah is into his 90s and only in the last year or two has he started showing signs of dementia. Even now when we call him up and speak to him he does recognise me. He even knows my son's name but has no idea who my wife is.

It makes you realise that you have to make the most of every moment with your elders.

What pains me the most, is when trying to look after your elders appears as though it is a favour by other people...

 

[ShehryarK]

Very sorry to hear this MIG bhai.

May Allah be with you and your wife and the rest of your family in this difficult time, and give all of you the strength and the patience to deal with this difficulty, and to be a source of comfort, joy and solace for all your loved ones.

May He also, in his infinite Mercy, give health to your father-in-law and aid him with shifa.

Ameen.

 

[MIG]

May Allah be with you, MIG, and with uncle during this tough ordeal. And may Allah make us all worthy of being good to our parents and keep them in His mercy always.

Hal jazaa'ul ihsaani illal ihsaan.

so true that part from Ar-Rehman - the true meaning of ihsan

 

[Eagle_Eye]

My thoughts are with you and your family... its really sad seeing someone fade away like this.

Luckily its not as common in asian families compared to the white community mainly due to HALDI in our diets. So curry has some uses afterall.

 

[Zechariah]

MIG bhai may Allah give your father the best of health but there is good news

B12 - The most important B vitamin for the health of the mind and in the body. This is the major cause of dementia cases nowadays as most people are not getting enough. It's deficiency has a huge effect in the health of the mind. Deficiency in B12 is one of the major causes.

Make it a habit to get enough of this very very important vitamin usually available as vitamin B complex if you are not getting them the natural way. It has improved cases of dementia and for us young folks will prevent it.

InshAllah your father will improve MIG Bhai, B12 is very important, plenty of info available in medical books and etc. It is not not harmful at all as every cell in the body needs it and uses it especially the mind. I will give you more information later as I have to go now.

Also honey as mentioned in the Quran, the health of the mind and old age and honey are mentioned in the same section, there is great healing power in it.

Once again may Allah give your father the best of health ameen.

 

[filosofee]

My father in law has been diagnosed with Dementia - he is in the intial stages of this mental disorder.

To most people dementia is something that old people get due to their age - so forgetfulness is one of those things we associate with it ( Ijaz Butt is an example !)

In actuality, this is a disease like any other. My father in law, for example, will ask the day of the week about 10 times in the day - he will look at my son and say "yeh kon hai" etc - a little funny at the time but we understand that these are the initial stages.

Obviously places stress on the family but this is something we need to face.

Inshallah we will help him through this - its saddening to see an ex engineer slowly losing his edge in front of our eyes but thats what ALLAH has planned for him - thats what will happen.

May ALLAH help us look after our parents in their old age and protect them from such problems - Ameen.

Below are some stats on Dementia - if you know someone or have a parent with this problem - you are not alone.

Sorry to learn of this MIG. What we have to remember is, no matter what the disability affecting our loved ones, they are human beings and ought to be treated humanely always.

 

[ali110]

I am really sorry to learn this about your FIL. I still remember my Grand Father (who passed away at the age of around 91), 10 years ago was showing the signs of dementia in his last couple of years and being really really close to him, I just can't get over that feeling of being not recognized by someone who basically loves and adores you so much after your parents in your early childhood.

My prayers are with your family at this difficult time. May Allah help him.

Ameen

 

[filosofee]

MIG bhai may Allah give your father the best of health but there is good news

B12 - The most important B vitamin for the health of the mind and in the body. This is the major cause of dementia cases nowadays as most people are not getting enough. It's deficiency has a huge effect in the health of the mind. Deficiency in B12 is one of the major causes.

Source for that?


Here are some points from an academic article in "Alzheimer's and Dementia" - Volume 3, Issue 4, October 2007, Pages 341-347:

.. many advances have been made in the understanding of dementing disorders. One area that was considered worthy of further investigation was that of risk factors for dementia, because knowledge of these risk factors has direct relevance to the primary prevention of these disorders.

The identification and relative importance of risk factors are best addressed through longitudinal cohort studies. Although case-control studies can be used to explore risk factors for disease, significant differences have been observed when conclusions of case-controlled studies are compared with longitudinal studies. An example of different conclusions is found with tobacco, where case-control studies have suggested that tobacco is associated with a lower risk of dementia, whereas numerous longitudinal studies have shown that the risk is increased [3]. For this reason, the present systematic review focuses solely on longitudinal cohort studies.

We posed the question “What modifiable risk factors are associated with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, or vascular dementia?”

Risk factors found included:

Smoking
Cholesterol
Depression
High-fat intake
Head Injury
Exposure to toxins
Stroke
Blood Pressure
Diabetes

...systematic review has explored the current state of evidence concerning risk factors

... priorities should focus on remediable risk factors that have the highest chance of being corrected. These include such risk factors as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, inadequate physical and mental activity, and dietary factors. Attempts to limit the noxious effects of smoking and head injury are justifiable for their own sake and might also have benefits in the cognitive domain.

Here's the UK site for Alzheimer's:

http://www.alzheimers-research.org.uk/

 

[zaid65]

MIG bhai may Allah give your father the best of health but there is good news

B12 - The most important B vitamin for the health of the mind and in the body. This is the major cause of dementia cases nowadays as most people are not getting enough. It's deficiency has a huge effect in the health of the mind. Deficiency in B12 is one of the major causes.

Make it a habit to get enough of this very very important vitamin usually available as vitamin B complex if you are not getting them the natural way. It has improved cases of dementia and for us young folks will prevent it.

InshAllah your father will improve MIG Bhai, B12 is very important, plenty of info available in medical books and etc. It is not not harmful at all as every cell in the body needs it and uses it especially the mind. I will give you more information later as I have to go now.

Also honey as mentioned in the Quran, the health of the mind and old age and honey are mentioned in the same section, there is great healing power in it.

Once again may Allah give your father the best of health ameen.

Most common cause of Dementia is Alzheimer Dementia and the most important risk factor of developing Alzheimer is age, next to age is family history and list goes on..

Remember Alzheimer Dementia is not reversible but you can control some of the memory loss ( but not reverse it).

My advise to you, instead of looking to get advise from people here, just seek professional advise.

 

[MIG]

Thank for your thoughts. My father in law is under supervision of his doctors.

There is no cure for it.

 

[shane]

As we grow older we naturally lose alot of our physical faculties, but one of the greatest things carried forth into our twilight years is the memories of our lives, cherished moments to recount to our children and grandchildren.

To go through so many years of living and be denied those memories at the end is cruel, it's devastating.

Terribly sorry to hear about your father-in-law MIG.

 

[filosofee]

Thank for your thoughts. My father in law is under supervision of his doctors.

There is no cure for it.

MIG, doctors are not necessarily familiar with the latest medical studies, unless they are active research scientists or attend medical conferences.

Ask the doctor about new research and medication, for example, rapamycin studies conducted at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, in the Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging. Also, a report by the Public Library of Science, in the online journal PLoS ONE, mentions the administration of rapamycin improved learning and memory in mice studies.

 

[tahaqureshi]

MIG, doctors are not necessarily familiar with the latest medical studies, unless they are active research scientists or attend medical conferences.

Ask the doctor about new research and medication, for example, rapamycin studies conducted at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, in the Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging. Also, a report by the Public Library of Science, in the online journal PLoS ONE, mentions the administration of rapamycin improved learning and memory in mice studies.

I've read about research where rapamycin is being considered a treatment option for Alzheimer's treatment in which memory and learning are improved. However it's still in the experimental stages and any significant results and conclusions are a long way away.

But because it is already a federally approved drug, it may not be a bad idea to explore the advice of physicians who are actively involved in research into cognitive impairment.

 

[filosofee]

I've read about research where rapamycin is being considered a treatment option for Alzheimer's treatment in which memory and learning are improved. However it's still in the experimental stages and any significant results and conclusions are a long way away.

But because it is already a federally approved drug, it may not be a bad idea to explore the advice of physicians who are actively involved in research into cognitive impairment.

You are quite right, and I did intend the mention of rapamycin as an example. There may be other effective treatments/medications that MIG's doctor is unfamiliar with. Of course, this area, like many fields is constantly undergoing research.

What is really important to remember is that sufferers are human beings and must be treated humanely, regardless of what they forget. I recall my grandmother, just really happy that I was able to be part of her care, if only for a very short period, towards the end of her life when she confused me for her daughter and could not recall my mother.

 

[mindless slogging]

I am very sorry to hear these news MIG bhai.

InshAllah everything will work out well in the end - from the administering of care to successfully enduring patience on the part of the carers.

Source for that?

Maybe he meant Vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency. I inadvertently came across this webpage after exploring the role of Vitamin B1 in heart failure.

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a brain disorder caused by thiamine deficiency... Wernicke's disease involves damage to nerves in the central and peripheral nervous systems and is generally caused by malnutrition stemming from habitual alcohol abuse. Korsakoff syndrome is characterized by memory impairment and nerve damage. High doses of thiamine can improve muscle coordination and confusion, but rarely improves memory loss.

Alzheimer's disease

Because lack of thiamine can cause dementia in Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, it has been proposed that thiamine might help reduce severity of Alzheimer's disease. Scientific studies have not always shown any benefit from thiamine, however. More research is needed before thiamine can be proposed as an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/vitamin-b1-000333.htm

 

[SameerM]

sorry to bring up an old topic.

my grandfather has dementia too. Docs said it some part of the brain which holds memory has been damaged.

So now he cannot write. he just scribbles and draws random lines..

He also thinks everyone is out to get him, so sleeps with a gun under his pillow.. which was stressful at first since it was loaded!!!
but then we managed to empty it when he got distracted..

very upsetting, that he is in this position.. he is in his mid 60's btw and he was a judge till a few months back!

 

[Cryin Out Loud]

My father in law has been diagnosed with Dementia - he is in the intial stages of this mental disorder.
...............

MIGGY, I am so sorry to hear about this.

May God grant you and your family the courage and grace to deal with it.

My wife's grandmother had it; you require a lot of patience to deal with it. In her case, she was lucid for periods of time, so it was never 'permanent'. But she did relapse often. Doesn't make it any easier, though.

 

[MIG]

Alhamdolillah - he is well as can be expected - it will take a little time before it gets to a stage where its get serious

 

[pakmania]

Very upsetting to hear MIG.Inshallah he will have the strength to cope and overcome this.

 

[LucyK]

Prayers go out to u MIG its very hard and upsetting when you see a loved one in distress like that. My grandma passed a few years ago, we saw her go down hill from being a strong woman to someone who was so confused with everything. She use to say ok kids im going back out dont forget to turn all lights off you dont want hitler bombing u and would carry a torch, this because she was a wren in the war. My gran forgot who i was and my mum she used to say was her husbands hussie. We just had to be here for her as my grand-dad had died 8 yrs before hand.



SO MIG if your ever in need of someone to talk to or just let of steam we are all here for you

 

[MIG]

Prayers go out to u MIG its very hard and upsetting when you see a loved one in distress like that. My grandma passed a few years ago, we saw her go down hill from being a strong woman to someone who was so confused with everything. She use to say ok kids im going back out dont forget to turn all lights off you dont want hitler bombing u and would carry a torch, this because she was a wren in the war. My gran forgot who i was and my mum she used to say was her husbands hussie. We just had to be here for her as my grand-dad had died 8 yrs before hand.



SO MIG if your ever in need of someone to talk to or just let of steam we are all here for you

Thanks to all for your prayers and best wishes

 

[Gollum]

May Allah provide your father-in-law complete shifa and your family the patience and the strength to cope with the illness. Ameen.

 

[PakLFC]

Dementia

I have this elderly Uncle like figure in his mid 80's who has been diagnosed with dementia. Previously he was a happy go lucky man who enjoyed his Cricket and life in general. Recently he is always talking to himself, appears confused and angry for no reason. Problem is that I am being asked to look after him for about a week that is gonna be rather difficult for someone who has no experience on such matters. Anyone here got a relative suffering from this illness?

 

[Itachi]

Is he under medication?

 

[Hitman]

I know of a a few people suffering from dementia and they can't even recognize their own family members. They would meet people visiting them, and ask their family members to prepare tea and snacks for their guests. And then keep repeating the same every 15 minutes or so. They can't even recognize people let alone remember events or things that happened barely 10 minutes ago.

 

[Hitman]

It's so sad. My father met one of his seniors in a wedding some months ago. That person would previously hug my father and laugh and chat for hours whenever they met. That time he couldn't even recognize him. His family members had to introduce my father to him, yet he couldn't recognize him. And he isn't that old either, maybe around 73/74 years old.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

I have this elderly Uncle like figure in his mid 80's who has been diagnosed with dementia. Previously he was a happy go lucky man who enjoyed his Cricket and life in general. Recently he is always talking to himself, appears confused and angry for no reason. Problem is that I am being asked to look after him for about a week that is gonna be rather difficult for someone who has no experience on such matters. Anyone here got a relative suffering from this illness?

My grandfather has had Alzheimers for 2 years and has completely changed.My life has changed as we live together.

Whatever they do,you just have to keep your cool.

 

[Gabbar Singh]

I have this elderly Uncle like figure in his mid 80's who has been diagnosed with dementia. Previously he was a happy go lucky man who enjoyed his Cricket and life in general. Recently he is always talking to himself, appears confused and angry for no reason. Problem is that I am being asked to look after him for about a week that is gonna be rather difficult for someone who has no experience on such matters. Anyone here got a relative suffering from this illness?

As long as he still has the ability to bath/shower on his own and still has control of his bowel and bladder you should be fine.

Of course you’ll have to show a lot of patience and a small tip - if he starts talking about something which you know is false sometimes it’s just better to go along with him instead of correcting him. We had a family friend with advanced dementia and he would always talk about his parents as if they were still alive. Things like “oh my dad will be here soon to take me to the shops” etc. The advice from the specialist dementia nurses was just to agree with him instead of correcting him.

Good luck and what a nice thing it is you’re doing.

 

[PakLFC]

He is getting worse despite the strong medication he is on. Can dementia kill?

 

[Hitman]

He is getting worse despite the strong medication he is on. Can dementia kill?

Of course it can, and it does. it does shorten lifespan.

 

[Pakistanian]

It's probably worst disease out there. You lose the person before they die, you see. A 80 year turn into an 8 year old, i think it's worse than cancer.

 

[Gabbar Singh]

He is getting worse despite the strong medication he is on. Can dementia kill?

Dementia recently overtook heart disease as the leading cause of death in the UK. I imagine it’s a similar story in other developed countries.

 

[PakLFC]

Of course it can, and it does. it does shorten lifespan.

How does it kill when it is a mental problem?

 

[Hitman]

How does it kill when it is a mental problem?

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/wellbeing/news/a27269/how-you-die-from-dementia/

 

[Pakistanian]

How does it kill when it is a mental problem?

it builds up plaque between nerve cells and causes cell death.

It's not just a mental problem lol.

 

[giri26]

My aunt is suffering from dementia as well. She is close to 80 years old. She has tough time remembering anyone. I haven't seen her for a while now as I don't live in India but it is really sad when she isn't able to recognise her own kids and grand kids.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

My grandfather has had Alzheimers for 2 years and has completely changed.My life has changed as we live together.

Whatever they do,you just have to keep your cool.

As long as he still has the ability to bath/shower on his own and still has control of his bowel and bladder you should be fine.

My grandfather has reached this dreaded stage where he cannot control his bladder.Moreover,he cannot walk without support either and then to only a few steps. So I have to accompany him to the bathroom.

He also cannot recognize his own family members now. He used to be a banker but retired a few years ago. However when talking with people he still talks as if he was in the bank. He could not recognize his own granddaughter (my cousin) and asked her to come to the bank if she wanted help (although she didn't want anything of that sort). He asked her how many brothers and sisters she had although they were all sitting around him.

He gets easily angry now even though he was one of the kindest and most patient person I know.

My life has taken a bad turn and I get easily frustrated now. I cannot sleep properly and all my free time is spent worrying.I know none of this is my grandfather's fault, but it seems permanent.

 

[Hitman]

My grandfather has reached this dreaded stage where he cannot control his bladder.Moreover,he cannot walk without support either and then to only a few steps. So I have to accompany him to the bathroom.

He also cannot recognize his own family members now. He used to be a banker but retired a few years ago. However when talking with people he still talks as if he was in the bank. He could not recognize his own granddaughter (my cousin) and asked her to come to the bank if she wanted help (although she didn't want anything of that sort). He asked her how many brothers and sisters she had although they were all sitting around him.

He gets easily angry now even though he was one of the kindest and most patient person I know.

My life has taken a bad turn and I get easily frustrated now. I cannot sleep properly and all my free time is spent worrying.I know none of this is my grandfather's fault, but it seems permanent.

This is really, really sad. Something beyond one one of our control. Please don't mind, and I'm not speaking of your grandfather here, but I've always believed that no human being should live till such an age where he/she has to go through dementia. I myself would never want to live till that age. We all deserve to depart this world with dignity.

 

[hadi123]

My grandfather has reached this dreaded stage where he cannot control his bladder.Moreover,he cannot walk without support either and then to only a few steps. So I have to accompany him to the bathroom.

He also cannot recognize his own family members now. He used to be a banker but retired a few years ago. However when talking with people he still talks as if he was in the bank. He could not recognize his own granddaughter (my cousin) and asked her to come to the bank if she wanted help (although she didn't want anything of that sort). He asked her how many brothers and sisters she had although they were all sitting around him.

He gets easily angry now even though he was one of the kindest and most patient person I know.

My life has taken a bad turn and I get easily frustrated now. I cannot sleep properly and all my free time is spent worrying.I know none of this is my grandfather's fault, but it seems permanent.

Really sorry to hear that bro. Hope he gets better.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

This is really, really sad. Something beyond one one of our control. Please don't mind, and I'm not speaking of your grandfather here, but I've always believed that no human being should live till such an age where he/she has to go through dementia. I myself would never want to live till that age. We all deserve to depart this world with dignity.

Share the same opinion. There is an intense debate going on in EU regarding this matter. Many patients want to die in peace after a certain point. Recently an 104 years old Aussie scientist traveled to Switzerland for assisted suicide [ https://abcnews.go.com/Internationa...witzerland-assisted-suicide/story?id=55067324 ]

 

[Hitman]

Share the same opinion. There is an intense debate going on in EU regarding this matter. Many patients want to die in peace after a certain point. Recently an 104 years old Aussie scientist traveled to Switzerland for assisted suicide [ https://abcnews.go.com/Internationa...witzerland-assisted-suicide/story?id=55067324 ]

The thing is euthanasia is seen by a lot of people as assisted suicide, which it is. But you have to look at the bigger picture. I've heard stories of people suffering from paralysis where their condition can be described as a head attached to a corpse. Why on earth would any person want to live such a life? And shouldn't it be their right to depart this world with dignity rather than live such a horrible, miserable life? I personally believe that it's paramount to cruelty to not allow euthanasia in exception cases.

Bhai jo bhi ho mere saath, I'd rather die in a relatively early age than suffer such fate.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Really sorry to hear that bro. Hope he gets better.

Thank you

 

[MenInG]

My grandfather has reached this dreaded stage where he cannot control his bladder.Moreover,he cannot walk without support either and then to only a few steps. So I have to accompany him to the bathroom.

He also cannot recognize his own family members now. He used to be a banker but retired a few years ago. However when talking with people he still talks as if he was in the bank. He could not recognize his own granddaughter (my cousin) and asked her to come to the bank if she wanted help (although she didn't want anything of that sort). He asked her how many brothers and sisters she had although they were all sitting around him.

He gets easily angry now even though he was one of the kindest and most patient person I know.

My life has taken a bad turn and I get easily frustrated now. I cannot sleep properly and all my free time is spent worrying.I know none of this is my grandfather's fault, but it seems permanent.

Sorry to hear that but as I found out after serving my father for 20 years of his life in a similar state, the satisfaction of being there to repay in some small portion the favours that he did to me was a great feeling.

We will pray for your grandfather.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Sorry to hear that but as I found out after serving my father for 20 years of his life in a similar state, the satisfaction of being there to repay in some small portion the favours that he did to me was a great feeling.

We will pray for your grandfather.

Thank you

 

[MenInG]

Former professional footballers are three and a half times more likely to die of dementia than people of the same age range in the general population, according to new research.

Experts at Glasgow University have been investigating fears that heading the ball could be linked to brain injuries.

The study began after claims that former West Brom striker Jeff Astle died because of repeated head trauma.

It compared deaths of 7,676 ex-players to 23,000 from the general population.

The sample was taken from men who played professional football in Scotland between 1900 and 1976.

The long-awaited study was commissioned by the Football Association and the Professional Footballers' Association after delays in initial research had angered Astle's family.

It began in January last year and was led by consultant neuropathologist Dr Willie Stewart, who said that "risk ranged from a five-fold increase in Alzheimer's disease, through an approximately four-fold increase in motor neurone disease, to a two-fold Parkinson's disease in former professional footballers compared to population controls".

Although footballers had higher risk of death from neurodegenerative disease, they were less likely to die of other common diseases, such as heart disease and some cancers, including lung cancer.

Dr Stewart said: "This is the largest study to date looking in this detail at the incidence of neurodegenerative disease in any sport, not just professional footballers.

"Our data show that while former footballers had higher dementia rates, they had lower rates of death due to other major diseases.

"As such, while every effort must be made to identify the factors contributing to the increased risk of neurodegenerative disease to allow this risk to be reduced, there are also wider potential health benefits of playing football to be considered."

The link between contact sport participation and neurodegenerative disease has been subject to debate in recent years, but until this study, it was not clear whether there was any evidence of an increase in neurodegenerative disease rate in former footballers.

Former England international Astle developed dementia and died in 2002 at the age of 59. The inquest into his death found heading heavy leather footballs repeatedly had contributed to trauma to his brain.

But research by the FA and the PFA was later dropped because of what were said to be technical flaws.

Astle's family has campaigned for the football authorities to launch a comprehensive research programme.

His daughter Dawn said she was "relieved" the study eventually went ahead, and her father's case was highlighted by former England captain Alan Shearer in a BBC documentary Alan Shearer: Dementia, Football and Me.

Speaking about the findings of the Field (Football's Influence on Lifelong Health and Dementia Risk) research, FA chairman Greg Clarke said: "The whole game must recognise that this is only the start of our understanding and there are many questions that still need to be answered.

"It is important that the global football family now unites to find the answers and provide a greater understanding of this complex issue. The FA is committed to doing all it can to make that happen."

PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor added: "These findings are a matter of considerable importance to our members. We are grateful to Dr Willie Stewart and his team for their work.

"It is now incumbent on football globally to come together to address this issue in a comprehensive and united manner. Research must continue to answer more specific questions about what needs to be done to identify and reduce risk factors.

"Our members wellbeing is of paramount importance to us, and we are committed to representing their voice as this conversation opens up across football's stakeholders."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50124102

 

[ElRaja]

they played with leather footballs back then, can imagine it must have been like a boxing match for the defenders when wet.