“Thor” with Alzheimer’s? Actor Chris Hemsworth pauses his career after discovering he’s at risk of Alzheimer’s.

Actor Chris Hemsworth, famous for playing the character Thor in the Marvel Universe, took many fans by surprise after announcing a break from his career due to a high risk of developing Alzheimer's. 

The result came after the actor underwent DNA testing and discovered that he has two copies of the ApoE4 gene, increasing the chances of developing this disease tenfold. This condition is so rare that it affects only 2% of the world's population.

“It’s not like I’ve just handed in my resignation. If you look at Alzheimer’s prevention, the benefit of preventive measures is that they affect the rest of your life. It’s all about sleep management, stress management, nutrition, movement, fitness.”

Chris Hemsworth

He explained that he only chose to slow down, as the result triggered something internally, and that from now on he will implement preventive measures to avoid developing Alzheimer's.

Currently, the actor does not have any signs or symptoms, only that there is a high risk of developing it, if it is not treated early, as symptoms generally appear after the age of 65.

Chris discovered this condition during the filming of the series. Limitles. During one episode, DNA tests were carried out, which confirmed the results. 

The series' proposal is for the actor to receive the results about his health in front of the cameras.

However, upon discovering this “sensitive” result, the series directors proposed removing the mention of the predisposition to Alzheimer's, but the actor chose to release it to raise awareness about the disease.

“They took all my blood work and did a bunch of tests and the plan was to tell me all the results on camera and then talk about how you can improve this and that. And Peter Attia, who’s the longevity doctor in that episode, called the showrunner and said, ‘I don’t want to tell him this on camera. We need to have a side conversation and see if he even wants this to be on the show.’ It was really shocking because he called me and told me. I hung up the phone and my parents were there at the time. They were like, ‘What was that?’ I was like, ‘Should I be worried? Is this a concern?’”

Chris Hemsworth

Another worrying fact is the family history, as Hemsworth's grandfather already has Alzheimer's. 

The actor will take a break from his career to focus on early treatment, but that doesn't mean that this break will be permanent. Fans will still be able to watch the actor's performance in films that have already been filmed and will be released, such as the film Furiosa, scheduled to premiere in June 2023. In addition to the second season of Limitless.

“My concern was that I just didn’t want to over-dramatize or over-change (the outcome) into some kind of corny empathy tool or something else that was formatted for entertainment.”

Chris Hemsworth

It is known that the APOE protein helps transport cholesterol and other types of fat in the blood, but it is not clear how APOE4 increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's. The APOE2 and APOE3 alleles do not pose the same high risk as that found in the actor. 

The WHO (World Health Organization) reports that approximately 55 million people suffer from some type of dementia. Annual diagnosis shows 10 million new cases, estimating 60 to 70% corresponding to Alzheimer's.

Here at Tenho Saúde, we've already talked about green tea, there are studies that report that consumption can prevent the development of Alzheimer's, in addition to increasing memory, protecting the brain and body from other types of disease. Check it out:

Green Tea for the Brain: Boosts Memory, Strengthens and Protects the Brain

Drinking this tea releases substances that increase memory, relieve anxiety, depression,…

Source: Vanity Fair, NIH, Oops, Canaltech and BBC.