Our data suggests this relationship between higher rates of neurodegenerative disease among former professional footballers is not driven by those wider general health and lifestyle factors, widely recognised as dementia risk factors.
Now, we actually know, having looked at the data, that these other risk factors don't appear to be contributing to the dementia risk.
Two former Premier League players - Gary Pallister and Steve Howey - have told BBC Sport of their health fears after years of heading footballs.
Leading campaigner Judith Gates has written to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to ask that heading the ball is declared a national health issue in order to safeguard players in the future.
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