Retired NFL Players Show High Rates of Silent Heart Disease

Retired NFL players may be silently harboring dangerous levels of coronary artery disease (CAD), according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2026. The study, believed to be the first assessment of coronary plaque in retired professional football players, analyzed 200 former NFL players enrolled in the GAMEFILM Registry using coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and Heartflow AI coronary plaque analysis (AI-CPA). The AI tool creates a personalized, color-coded 3D model of heart arteries and measures plaque volume, type, and impact on blood flow. Findings revealed that 85% of former players had coronary plaque, yet only 13% had a known CAD diagnosis prior to the scan. More than 40% had blockages narrowing at least one artery by more than 50%, and nearly 30% had plaque substantial enough to significantly restrict blood flow. Despite this, less than 10% reported symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath. Retired linemen had more plaque and more severe blockages compared with players of other positions, and they sat above the median for total plaque volume when compared to an age- and sex-matched reference group.

“We expected to find plaque, but we did not expect to find such a striking gap between how much significant disease these former football players had and how few of them had any symptoms,” said co-author Campbell Rogers, M.D., chief medical officer at Heartflow, Inc. The study’s lead author, David Maron, M.D., noted that participants were eager to take preventive action once they saw their results—nearly 90% of those not already on cholesterol-lowering medications said they were ready to start treatment. “When CAD is found early, it is very treatable, often with medication and lifestyle changes rather than a medical procedure,” Maron said. American Heart Association volunteer expert Michael Shapiro, M.D., emphasized that feeling fine does not guarantee healthy arteries and urged the public to know their cholesterol, blood pressure, and family history. The research is preliminary and not yet peer-reviewed, and its limitations include voluntary enrollment and lack of a control group of non-athletes. Heartflow is a medical technology company advancing noninvasive heart disease diagnosis through artificial intelligence.