Compulsory genetic testing for APOE Epsilon 4 and boxing

Chronic traumatic brain injury occurs in approximately 20 per cent of professional boxers.1 Boxers with brain injury have varying degrees of movement, intellectual, and/or behavioral impairments. ‘Dementia pugilistica’ is a form of severe dementia that resembles severe Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease. Chronic traumatic brain injury has also been documented in American Football, ice hockey, rugby, horse racing and soccer. It has been believed that this results from repetitive concussive and subconsive blows to the head and in boxers, is related to the number and severity of exposures to punches.2 Brain injury in boxers is related to the following factors: • increased exposure (i.e., duration of career, age of retirement, total number of bouts); • poor performance; • increased sparring.3