Chris Hemsworth’s Alzheimer’s Risk Puts Focus on Early Warning Signs
Actor Chris Hemsworth, 42, has opened up about his genetic risk for Alzheimer’s, admitting that it makes him question what fans and studios may think of him as a leading man.
On Hemsworth’s current press run for Crime 101, he admitted to hesitating before going public, as it felt like it allowed people to see his fear under the surface, potentially ruining his action-hero persona.
Deadline reported that he feared people might “no longer believe” in him as a leading man if they knew the full story.
According to Entertainment Weekly, he learned during his 2022 National Geographic series Limitless that he carries two copies of the APOE4 gene. This puts his risk at roughly eight to 10 times higher than average.
As reported by People Magazine, his father, Craig, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and that reality has changed how he thinks about time, work, and family.
The APOE ε4 gene
The National Institute on Aging notes that APOE ε4 is a risk gene, and even with two copies, as Hemsworth has discovered he has, some people never develop Alzheimer’s.
LADbible wrote that Hemsworth has cut down on chronic stress and built in more stillness, largely because the news shook his sense of momentum. However, this is not a cure, but a reaction to the information.
For years, doctors have mainly treated symptoms of Alzheimer’s, not the underlying biology. The data shows that symptom-focused medications like cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine can help some people with thinking or behavior for a time, even though they don’t stop the disease.
More recently, new disease-targeting infusions have entered the conversation. The Alzheimer’s Association found that anti-amyloid therapies like lecanemab are approved for early Alzheimer’s, but they’re meant for specific patients and require confirmed amyloid in the brain.
Additionally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved donanemab for Alzheimer’s disease, with treatment already started in people with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia stages.
Symptoms families should watch for?
Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that common warning signs can include:
- Memory loss that disrupts daily life
- Trouble planning, solving problems, or following steps
- Getting confused about time or place
- Word-finding issues that are new and persistent
- Misplacing things and not being able to retrace steps
- Pulling away from work, hobbies, or people
- Mood or personality changes that feel out of character
The reality is that if changes start messing with daily life, the symptoms should not be shrugged off as “just getting older.”
The National Institute on Aging notes that some memory slips can be normal, but dementia is different, and other treatable issues, like medication side effects, sleep problems, depression, or vitamin B12 deficiency, can also affect memory.
However, if a person is experiencing sudden confusion, rapidly worsening symptoms, or major behavior changes, urgent care is needed.
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