Chris Hemsworth.

Gulf Today Report

Fans of Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth are in for a rude shock: he is genetically prone to Alzheimer's disease. The disease normally affects people in their sixties and above, but early-onset Alzheimer’s hits those in their thirties or forties. Hemsworth is just 39. Medical experts have also told him that he is "between eight and ten times" more likely to develop the condition than others.

Alzheimer’s takes a psychological toll not only on the victim but also those close to him or her. It results in memory loss, losing track of dates, repeating questions, forgetting what was told to them a short while ago, wandering and getting lost among others. It is a form of dementia. Hollywood stars have also not been spared the scourge.

Charles Bronson, Sidney Poitier, and Rita Hayworth are among a few who have been hit by the disease. The revelation on Hemsworth’s condition will not only be unsettling for the Australian actor but for his legion of admirers. It is like facing the prospect of death that is likely sooner than expected.

He said in an interview with Vanity Fair: “Most of us, we like to avoid speaking about death in the hope that we'll somehow avoid it. We all have this belief that we'll figure it out." "Then all of a sudden be told some big indicators are actually pointing to this as the route which is going to happen, the reality of it sinks in. Your own mortality."

The 39-year-old handsome hulk, famous for playing Thor in the Marvel films, is now determined to take extra care of his health, according to Indo-Asian News Service. Now suddenly priorities change. He has to be careful about sleep, food, stress, fitness… the whole works. The actor has three children: India, and twins Sasha and Tristan with Elsa Pataky, a Spanish model and actress. Hemsworth plans to open up on his health predicament to his children.