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Football must consider stopping headers, says dementia expert

A new study is claimed to have found the "missing link" between football and dementia

A leading researcher into the link between dementia and sport has called for football to consider abandoning headers after a new study highlighted the risk of players developing neurodegenerative diseases due to repeated heading.

Dr Willie Stewart of the University of Glasgow has said the sport should now come with a warning regarding the dangers of heading in the sport over the course of a player's career.

Previous studies had shown that footballers are more at risk of dying with dementia or other neurodegenerative diseases than the general population and Stewart says a new study published in the journal JAMA Neurology provides the "missing link".