In 2018, NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., who retired in 2017 citing multiple concussions, became the first auto racing competitor agreeing to donate his brain upon his death.In related research, the Center for the Study of Retired Athletes, which is part of the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is conducting research funded by National Football League Charities to "study former football players, a population with a high prevalence of exposure to prior Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) and sub-concussive impacts, in order to investigate the association between increased football exposure and recurrent MTBI and neurodegenerative disorders such as cognitive impairment and Alzheimers disease (AD)".In February 2011, former NFL player Dave Duerson committed suicide via a gunshot to his chest, thus leaving his brain intact. Duerson left text messages to loved ones asking that his brain be donated to research for CTE. The family got in touch with representatives of the Boston University center studying the condition, said Robert Stern, the co-director of the research group. Stern said Duersons gift was the first time of which he was aware that such a request had been made by someone who had committed suicide that was potentially linked to CTE. Stern and his colleagues found high levels of the protein tau in Duersons brain. These elevated levels, which were abnormally clumped and pooled along the brain sulci, are indicative of CTE.In July 2010, NHL enforcer Bob Probert died of heart failure.
Romano–Ward syndrome is the most common form of congenital Long QT syndrome (LQTS), a genetic heart condition that affects the electrical properties of heart muscle cells. Those affected are at risk of abnormal heart rhythms which can lead to fainting, seizures, or sudden death. Romano–Ward syndrome can be distinguished clinically from other forms of inherited LQTS as it affects only the electrical properties of the heart, while other forms of LQTS can also affect other parts of the body. Romano–Ward syndrome is caused by abnormal variants in the genes responsible for producing certain proteins used to transport charged particles (ion channels) within the heart. These abnormalities interfere with the electrical signals that heart cells use to coordinate contractions, causing the heart to take longer to recharge in between beats. The condition is usually diagnosed using an electrocardiogram, but other tests sometimes used include Holter monitoring, exercise testing, and genetic testing. It may be treated using medications such as beta-blockers, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, or surgery to disrupt the sympathetic nervous system. Romano–Ward syndrome is estimated to affect 1 in every 7,000 people. Signs and symptoms
Romano–Ward syndrome increases the risk of abnormal heart rhythms or arrhythmias. These are typically a form of ventricular tachycardia known as Torsades de pointes which can cause faints, seizures, or even sudden death. Less dangerous arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation also occur, causing symptoms of heart racing or palpitations. However, many of those with Romano–Ward syndrome will remain free from arrhythmias and therefore free from symptoms.