Heading Frequency and Risk of Cognitive Impairment in Retired Male Professional Soccer Players.

Importance: Although professional soccer players appear to be at higher risk of neurodegenerative disease, the reason remains unknown.

Objective: To examine whether heading frequency is associated with risk of cognitive impairment in retired professional soccer players.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A UK nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted between August 15, 2020, and December 31, 2021, in 459 retired male professional soccer players older than 45 years and registered with the Professional Footballers' Association or a League Club Players' Association.