Football, Concussions and High Blood Pressure Often Go Together

By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter

Addhigh blood pressureto the list of problems associated withconcussionsamong former pro football players.

Researchers at Harvard University's Football Players Health Study linked a history ofconcussionsto elevated risk forhigh blood pressureamong ex-NFL players.

The results suggest that treating former athletes who have bothhigh blood pressureand a history of concussions could help protect them againstheart, blood vessel and mental (cognitive) decline.

“If players, families, and physicians are aware of the cardiovascular effects ofhead injury, we have a better chance of protecting both their cardiovascular health and long-term cognitive health,” study author Rachel Grashow said in a Harvard news release. She is director of epidemiological research initiatives for the Football Players Health Study.

Grashow headed up the new study with Dr. Aaron Baggish, professor of medicine at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland and senior faculty member at the Football Players Health Study.

The findings are based on a survey of more than 4,000 former National Football League players looking at various aspects of players' health across their life span.

Most research on mental decline in former pro football players has focused on neurodegeneration caused directly by repeated concussions, Grashow said.

Butheart diseaseis the leading cause of death and disability among former football players and Americans in general. Andhigh blood pressureis the most common cause of these conditions. It can also gradually damage blood vessels in the brain, leading to mental decline.

To learn more, researchers analyzed players for high官网地址bwinrisk factors, includingdiabetes,obesity, age andsmoking玩的季节,假定ion, years since play, and the occurrence of 10 commonconcussionsymptoms.

Each player was given aconcussionsymptom score (CSS).

As scores rose, so did their likelihood of being diagnosed withhigh blood pressure. Even analyzing cases using just one severeconcussionsymptom --loss of consciousness-- accurately predicted likelihood of developinghigh blood pressure.

The odds that these former players will be diagnosed withhigh blood pressurerises with eachconcussion, according to the study.

One possible explanation for the link is that repeat concussions could cause a chronic inflammation that prompts官网地址bwinto rise, Grashow said.

更多的research will be needed to confirm why this happens.

Unlike many of the risk factors for cognitive decline,high blood pressurecan be controlled with safe and effective therapies, Baggish said. This could includedietchanges,aerobic exerciseand medication.

“By identifying those at increased risk forhypertensionbased on their history ofhead injuries, we could intervene with therapies that not only protect their hearts and blood vessels, but also their brains,” Baggish said in the release.

This study was supported by Harvard Catalyst/The Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center and the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA).

The NFLPA had no role in the design and conduct of the study.

The findings were published Feb. 7 in the journalCirculation.

更多的information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control andPreventionhas more on high blood pressure.

SOURCE: Harvard University, news release, Feb. 7, 2023

Copyright © 2022 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

QUESTION

盐和钠都是相同的。See Answer