Mortality from neurodegenerative disease is high among professional soccer players, potentially associated with repeated head impacts during routine gameplay. New data suggest that the apolipoprotein E ε4 allele might exacerbate the effects of soccer ball heading on cognition. However, genotyping of athletes to determine their dementia risk remains a distant prospect.
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Smith, D.H., Stewart, W. Genetic interplay with soccer ball heading. Nat Rev Neurol 16, 189–190 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-020-0334-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-020-0334-6
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