Late Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen Is First Known NASCAR Driver Diagnosed With CTE, Found at Stage 3

Women Lost 25% of Body Weight on CagriSema in Trial Analysis, but Most Users Had Digestive Side EffectsWomen on CagriSema lost 25% of their body weight in a post hoc trial analysis, while 79.6% of users had digestive side effects. The drug is not approved. Ice Water, Math Quizzes, and Shocks: The 1948 Breastfeeding Experiment That Showed Stress Can Slow Milk FlowIn 1948, researchers stressed a nursing mother with ice water, toe pulling, and math problems with shocks. Each time, her baby got less milk. Thanksgiving 2026 Almanac Outlook Calls for Upper Midwest Snow and Eastern Rain as Travelers Plan AheadThe Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts snow in the Upper Midwest and rain in the East for Thanksgiving 2026. Here is how to plan travel safely and stay healthy. Cervical Cancer Screening Gaps Persist in the South and West as At-Home HPV Testing Expands for WomenA new study shows uneven cervical cancer screening across U.S. regions. Here are current Pap and HPV schedules and at-home testing options. Mental Health Danville Company Agrees to Pay $1.8 Million Over Alleged Medicaid Billing for Mental Health Services by Uncredentialed ProviderA Danville company will pay $1.8 million to settle claims it billed Virginia Medicaid for mental health services by an uncredentialed provider. A Man Told Doctors He Was a Physics Professor and NFL Draft Pick Until They Reached His FatherA 28-year-old’s ER stories of an NFL draft and a dead fiancée unraveled. A 2026 review of 55 cases maps a rare pattern called pseudologia fantastica. New York Overdose Deaths Fell About 8% in a Year, Far Slower Than the Earlier Two-Year DeclineNew York overdose deaths fell about 8% in the 12 months ending May 2026, CDC data show, a much slower pace than the state’s earlier two-year drop of more than 40%. A Teen Saw a Flying Green Dinosaur, and Her Racing Heart Helped Doctors Trace It to an Immune Attack on Her BrainA 16-year-old saw a flying green dinosaur. Her racing heart pushed doctors past psychosis to a rare autoimmune attack on her brain. Innovation Companion Apps for Prescription Drugs Face New FDA Labeling Guidance Meant to Keep Patient Medication Information AccurateFDA finalized guidance on apps paired with prescription drugs, from inhaler trackers to dose reminders. Here is what it means for patients. Parkview Patients in Fort Wayne Can Request Refills Through MyChart Again, but Billing and Video Visits Stay OfflineParkview restored MyChart refills, messaging, and scheduling after a network outage, but billing and video visits remain down. Here is what to do. The Dense Mass Beside an 80-Year-Old Woman’s Jaw on CT Was Actually Her Cough CandyA bright oval mass in an 80-year-old woman’s cheek on CT puzzled radiologists until she revealed what she had been sucking on during the scan. Former Ambulance Company Agrees to $1 Million Massachusetts Settlement Over Breach Affecting 750,116 Residents and Billing ClaimsA breach at former ambulance firm Transformative Healthcare hit 750,116 Massachusetts residents. What the $1 million deal requires and how to check. Healthy Living About 300,000 Virginians Could Lose Medicaid Next Year as New Coalition Plans Texts, Mail and Free Clinic HelpUp to 300,000 Virginians could lose Medicaid under 2027 work rules. A new coalition will use texts, mail, and clinics to help people stay covered. Kentucky Measles Count Reaches 174 as Christian and Trigg Counties Add 14 Cases and Hospitalizations Rise to 10Kentucky’s measles count hit 174, with 10 hospitalizations, as Christian and Trigg counties added cases. See vaccine help for western Kentucky. About 1 in 6 Patients Strike Doctors as Difficult, and Experiments Show It Can Throw Off DiagnosesDoctors find about 17% of patients difficult, a 2026 review shows, and experiments suggest that friction can quietly make diagnoses less accurate. Two “Do Not Eat” Canisters Turned Up in a Man’s Colon During His Routine ColonoscopyA screening colonoscopy found two desiccant canisters in a 51-year-old man’s colon. He may have mistaken them for his last vitamin D capsules. Covid – 19 FDA Proposes Requiring Companies to Report Food Additives That Now Reach Grocery Shelves Without Federal ReviewFDA has released its proposed GRAS rule requiring companies to notify the agency about food additives. Here is what the proposal does and does not do. Federal Regulators Warn Some Hair Dryer Brushes Lack the Part That Stops ElectrocutionCPSC warns hair dryer brushes sold on Walmart.com and TikTok Shop lack immersion protection. The seller has not agreed to a recall or refund. A Recalled Teething Toy Broke the Pattern Parents Were Told to Look ForA newly recalled pull-string teething toy has a different model number and design from earlier recalls, and one choking incident has been reported. Trying to Lower Blood Sugar, Cholesterol or Blood Pressure? Different Workouts Suited Different MarkersA pooled analysis of 53 trials found that different exercise types helped different metabolic markers. Most of the evidence was low certainty. Fred Lorenzen Getty Images Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Pocket NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen had stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, making him the first NASCAR driver known to be diagnosed with the disease; his family and the Concussion & CTE Foundation announced this on Oct. 20. Researchers at the Boston University CTE Center made the diagnosis after studying his brain following his death.

Lorenzen died Dec. 18, 2024, at age 89, after living with dementia for about 20 years, according to the Concussion & CTE Foundation. CTE is graded on a four-stage scale, and stage 3 is the second most severe.

The finding raises a hard question for former drivers and their families who are living with memory loss or behavior changes: could years of crashes have played a role? A single case cannot answer that, but it adds to a growing conversation about head injuries in motorsports.

Lorenzen won the 1965 Daytona 500 and was the first driver to earn more than $100,000 in a single NASCAR season. He raced in an era with far fewer safety protections than drivers have today, and he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015.

Neuropathologists found an unusual pattern in his brain. “Mr. Lorenzen had cortical-sparing CTE, which is the first identified subtype of the disease,” said Dr. Thor Stein, director of molecular research at the Boston University CTE Center, who studied the brain.

Stein said that in about 10% of CTE cases, the disease is worse in brain areas that control behavior and movement. That pattern can cause behavioral symptoms and Parkinson’s-like movement problems that start earlier in life.

His daughter, Amanda Lorenzen Gardstrom, said her father struggled long before his dementia diagnosis in his 60s. “While he may be the first race car driver diagnosed with CTE, we know from outreach to other drivers that he isn’t the only one suffering,” she said.

The family pledged his brain to research in 2016, inspired by Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s pledge that year. His son, Chris Lorenzen, said his father’s dementia care came at a high financial and emotional cost to the family.

CTE can be confirmed only by examining brain tissue after death. There is no validated test to diagnose it in a living person, which is why researchers rely on donated brains.

This is a single case. It does not tell researchers how many drivers have CTE, whether racing raises the risk compared with other activities, or whether modern safety equipment has changed that risk. Brain donors also tend to come from families who noticed symptoms, so findings from brain banks cannot be applied to all drivers and say nothing about any individual driver’s odds.

The National Institutes of Health says CTE is caused in part by repeated traumatic brain injuries and that severe CTE is associated with dementia, according to the foundation’s release. Researchers do not fully understand why some people with repeated head impacts develop the disease, and others do not.

“It is concerning to find CTE in the brain of Fred Lorenzen, the first NASCAR driver to be studied,” said Dr. Chris Nowinski, CEO of the foundation.

The finding follows a September announcement from the family of Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip, who has frontotemporal degeneration complicated by possible CTE. MedicalDaily previously reported on Waltrip’s diagnosis and what it means for families. Waltrip’s CTE remains unconfirmed because the disease cannot be diagnosed during life.

NASCAR declined to join the family’s initiative after talks that began in January, the family said, Jayski reported.

The family donated $1 million to create the Fred Lorenzen Memorial HelpLine, a free service for current or former auto racing drivers and their families dealing with long-term concussion symptoms, suspected CTE, or related disorders. The foundation says it responds to requests within three business days.

Symptoms linked to CTE can include memory problems, depression, impulsive or aggressive behavior, confusion, and movement changes. Many of these overlap with other conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, depression, or medication side effects, so a full medical evaluation matters.

There is no specific treatment for CTE, according to the MSD Manual, but many symptoms can be managed. Families can ask a neurologist about memory testing and keep notes on mood, behavior, and past head injuries.

Sudden confusion, weakness on one side, trouble speaking, or thoughts of self-harm need emergency care. People in crisis can call or text 988.

Part of the donation will support Boston University research on diagnosing CTE in living people, work that could eventually help families get answers sooner.

What was Fred Lorenzen diagnosed with? Stage 3 of 4 CTE, with a cortical-sparing subtype, found by Boston University researchers after his death.

Is he the first NASCAR driver with CTE? He is the first NASCAR driver known to be diagnosed with the disease.

Can CTE be diagnosed in living people? Not yet. Confirmation currently requires examining brain tissue after death.

Does this prove racing causes CTE? No. One case cannot show how common CTE is among drivers or prove what caused it.

What symptoms are linked to CTE? Memory loss, mood changes, impulsive behavior, and movement problems, which can overlap with other conditions.

Where can racing families get help? The Fred Lorenzen Memorial HelpLine at the Concussion & CTE Foundation offers free help to current and former drivers and their families.