Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Retired National Football League Players

Retired NFL linemen have a 59.8% prevalence of metabolic syndrome, nearly double that of nonlinemen.

• Elevated body mass index, low levels of good cholesterol, and high fasting glucose were more common in linemen compared to nonlinemen.
• Body mass index over 30 kg/m2 was found in 85.4% of linemen versus 50.3% of nonlinemen.
• Reduced high-density lipoprotein levels were present in 42.1% of linemen, compared to 32.7% of nonlinemen.
• Raised fasting glucose levels occurred in 60.4% of linemen, in contrast to 37.6% of nonlinemen.
• The findings suggest that other unmeasured cardiovascular risk factors may contribute to the increased risk of cardiovascular death in retired linemen.

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