Chris Hemsworth's announcement on his health condition in his new show “a mission to live better for longer” on Disney Plus came like a bolt from the blue. The 39-year-old “Thor” Hollywood star discovered that he had a rare genetic combination of 2 copies of the APOE4 gene, which is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. According to a 2021 study by the National Institutes of Health, APOE4 is the highest risk factor gene for Alzheimer’s disease, yet inheriting ApoE4 does not guarantee to develop the disease. - Image Credit: Disney Plus
There are many different types of dementia, but Alzheimer’s disease is the most prevalent type with more than 55 million people with dementia, and approximately 10 million new cases reported annually. In Malaysia, 8.5% of elderly over the age of 60 are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, which becomes more common as we grow older.