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Pro Player Health Alliance Announces NFL Alumni are Working on Multiple Events Over the Next Year to Raise Awareness of Sleep Apnea Risk

Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) December 07, 2012

The thrill of watching the controlled violence of a professional football game is a singular experience. It has been said that the rigors of a single down of NFL football leaves the participants functionally disabled for the rest of their lives. The game of football has evolved over the years and the modern game has required football players to be bigger, faster, smarter, and hit harder than ever thought possible in the past. The net effect of all of this shows up, not on the field, but many years later. The average NFL linemen today is between 6.0 and 6.8 tall and 300+ pounds often leading to obesity, sleep apnea, and cardiovascular risk factors over 3 times the national average.

A 2005 study by the University of Northern Carolina found that more than 25% of the NFL’s players fit the category of Class II obesity. A 2006 survey by Scripps Howard newspapers of the deaths of 3,850 professional pro football players over the last century found that the heaviest players were more than twice as likely as lighter players to have died before their 50th birthdays. A study by the University of Connecticut titled, “Body size and composition of National Football League players,” showed that the increase in body mass in players since the 1970’s was primarily focused in the offensive and defensive line.

It has been widely reported that Reggie White, a 43-year-old, 300-pound defensive end of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers died of complications associated with diagnosed, but untreated sleep apnea. White was a Hall of Fame caliber defensive end and he was the NFL’s defensive player of the year twice. He was also selected by his peers for 13 consecutive pro bowls.

The NFL alumni association and the NFLPA have recently decided to not only raise the issue of undiagnosed sleep apnea in their membership, but also to lend their considerable star power to inform and educate their fans, about the dangers of sleep disorders. Enter David Gergen, President of the Pro Players Health Alliance (PPHA), an organization that presents community awareness programs featuring medical and dental professionals with retired professional football players to provide the community link. David Gergen, CDT is a lifetime football fan, player and award winning Pop Warner football coach. PPHA, NFLPA and the NFL alumni association have launched a national campaign of sleep apnea and cardiovascular screenings and events. These events gather up to 500 people that are diagnosed and undiagnosed with sleep apnea. In attendance of these events are former NFL and NBA players and local patients that come to hear stories and testimonials from their gridiron heroes as well as receive an educational message from medical and dental professionals with special training in Sleep Medicine. David was inspired to start the PPHA by his friend Derek Kennard, NFL Lineman and Super Bowl Champion with the Dallas Cowboys. David fabricated an oral appliance for Derek to wear while he sleeps. Derek has sleep apnea, but is unable to wear his CPAP device because he finds it bulky and uncomfortable. Since receiving the oral appliance Derek has had the energy to exercise again and has lost over 150 lbs.

In June, the PPHA held an event screening, diagnosing, and then treating 18 NFL Greats. “We are saving lives by holding these awareness events and that is the bottom line,” said David Gergen.

In October, the PPHA was in Tacoma, WA. The room filled up to 235 people and you could feel the atmosphere building, all of a sudden the crowd started cheering. David just smiled and said, “I guess Warren Moon just arrived.” Warren Moon was recently selected for the Football Hall of Fame. To hear Gergen tell it “sleep apnea takes lives and that merits national awareness. With these events, we plan to spread the awareness and tackle sleep apnea throughout the country.”

Tony Dorsett, widely considered to be the most popular Dallas Cowboy player to have played the game was quoted another recent PPHA event in Dallas shortly after the Tacoma event, “I want to let people know how important it is to get treatment and how getting treatment can not only effect your health, but it can save your life.”

Dorsett has been treated by David Gergen and is such a huge supporter of the national awareness campaign that he will be flying into Phoenix for their next big event in Scottsdale, AZ on January 10, 2013. The Scottsdale event is planned to draw upward of 500 people.

Additionally, Bob Lurtsema former NFL defensive end of the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks was also treated for sleep apnea by Dr. Patti Froeber of Froeber Dentistry in Minneapolis, MN because of these awareness events.

This is clearly an opportunity for the NFLPA and PPHA to give back to the fans and also on some level to help the retired football players who have given us all so much over the years. David Gergen reports that there are 12 events planned for the next 6 months in various cities around the country. Visit the website of The Pro Player Health Alliance and come out to one of the events in a city near you.

To pre-register for the upcoming event on January 10, 2013, visit: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4799861515?ref=ecount.

For more information about PPHA or the “Tackle Sleep Apnea” campaign, visit http://proplayerhealthalliance.com.

About Pro Player Health Alliance

The Pro Players Health Alliance (PPHA) is an organization dedicated to helping former NFL players, through providing testing and treatment options for those who suffer from sleep apnea. In addition, the PPHA is dedicated to integrating education and raising sleep apnea awareness, in a fun and memorable way. In addition to the campaign, the PPHA is dedicated to testing and getting people treated who suffer from sleep apnea. The PPHA was created by David Gergen, President of Gergen’s Orthodontic Lab, Rani Ben-David, President of Sleep Group Solutions, and Former NFL legends.

About David Gergen

David Gergen, CDT and President of Pro Player Health Alliance, has been a nationally respected dental lab technician for over 25 years. He received the award for “The Finest Orthodontic Technician in the Country” given by Columbus Dental in 1986. He also has been appointed chair of the dental wing of the Sleep and Breathing Academy a national interdisciplinary academy dedicated to sleep training and education with over 60,000 members. David rolled out of bed on September 12, 1981 and had his career “ah ha” moment. He knew he was going to be an orthodontic technician and he knew he was going to help people all over the country to help treat their sleep disorders in partnership with their dentists. He has worked for some of the pioneers in the orthodontic and sleep dentistry fields. He was the personal technician for the likes of Dr. Robert Ricketts, Dr. Ronald Roth, Dr. A. Paul Serrano, Dr. Clark Jones, Dr. Harold Gelb, Dr. Joseph R. Cohen, Dr. Rodney Willey, Dr. Allan Bernstein, and Dr. Thiem Pham. One of his proudest achievements is receiving The National Leadership award for Arizona Small Businessman of the Year in 2004.

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