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Brett Favre Diagnosed With Parkinson’s Disease: Updates on the Former NFL Quarterback’s Health
Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre announced in September 2024 that he had “recently” been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. While the NFL Hall of Famer did not reveal much about his condition, his announcement led many people to wonder what his diagnosis meant for his overall health outlook.
Brett Favre Reveals He Was Diagnosed With Parkinson’s Disease
Though Brett did not make a formal announcement about his Parkinson’s diagnosis, he revealed the health update while testifying before Congress and the House Ways and Means Committee on September 24, 2024. The admission came as the NFL alum addressed welfare accountability in his home state of Mississippi, including his controversial alleged misuse of taxpayer funds. Brett was accused of falsely allocating money to the now defunct drug company Prevacus, in which he was an investor.
“Sadly, I also lost an investment in a company that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug I thought would help others, and I’m sure you’ll understand why it’s too late for me because I’ve recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s,” Brett said.
The former pro footballer was also accused of receiving millions of dollars from an assistance fund for needy families to help build a volleyball stadium at the University of Southern Mississippi. Brett has denied the allegations against him, claiming that he was not aware the funds were meant for welfare recipients.
What Is Parkinson’s Disease?
Parkinson’s is “a neurodegenerative disorder that affects predominately the dopamine-producing neurons in a specific area of the brain called substantia nigra,” according to the Parkinson’s Foundation. The cause of Parkinson’s is still unknown, but scientists believe “a combination of genetic and environmental factors” can lead to the development of the disease.
Symptoms of Parkinson’s include tremors, slowness and paucity of movement, stiff limbs and balance problems. There can also be several non-motor symptoms, such as “depression, anxiety, apathy, hallucinations, constipation, orthostatic hypotension, sleep disorders, loss of sense of smell, and a variety of cognitive impairments,” the foundation noted.
There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s disease. However, treatment options are available, including medications, lifestyle changes and surgery. Parkinson’s itself is also not fatal, but complications from the disease can be serious and lead to death in some cases.
“It is possible to have a good to great quality of life with PD,” the foundation stated. “Working with your doctor and following recommended therapies are essential in successfully treating symptoms by using dopaminergic medications. People with PD need this medication because they have low levels or are missing dopamine in the brain, mainly due to impairment of neurons in the substantia nigra.”
Brett Favre Experienced Multiple Concussions During His NFL Career
Brett has previously opened up about the injuries he sustained during his 20-season career in the NFL, including “three or four” concussions.
“(There’s) no telling how many concussions I’ve had, and what are the repercussions of that, there’s no answer,” he told Today.com in 2021. “I wasn’t the best student, but I still can remember certain things that you would go, ‘Why would you even remember that?’ But I can’t remember someone that I played six years with in Green Bay … but the face looks familiar. Those type of issues that make me wonder.”
Brett’s multiple head injuries made him wonder if he had developed CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which is a progressive brain disorder that can only be detected via a postmortem brain tissue analysis.
“I don’t know what normal feels like. Do I have CTE? I really don’t know,” he added. “Concussions are a very, very serious thing and we’re just scraping the surface of how severe they are.”
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