Chris Hemsworth reveals ‘shocking’ Alzheimer’s warning

Thor actor has upheaved his lifestyle after making unsettling DNA test discovery

Chris Hemsworth has opened up about his fitness and lifestyle changes he’s made in the wake of a “shocking” health warning.

The Australian actor, 39, discovered during the filming of National Geographic series Limitless that his DNA contains two copies of the gene APOE4, which has been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Speaking about the news, the actor, who plays Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), told Vanity Fair: “They took all my bloodwork and did a bunch of tests and the plan was to on-camera tell me all the results and then talk about how you can improve this and that.

“And Peter Attia, who is the longevity doctor in that episode, and overseeing a lot of the show, called [show creator] Darren [Aronofsky] and said, ‘I don’t want to tell him this on camera. We need to have an off-side conversation and see if he even wants this to be in the show.’

“It was pretty shocking because he called me up and he told me.”

Hemsworth explained that he had certainly not expected to receive such “intense” news as the show was originally intended to be a “fun” way of exploring “longevity”.

However, he said: “It was a really good catalyst to dive into everything I needed to be doing in either the prevention front or the management front.

“There was an intensity to navigating it. Most of us, we like to avoid speaking about death in the hope that we’ll somehow avoid it.”

Speaking on camera about the discovery, Hemsworth said: “You’re constantly thinking you’re going to live forever, especially as a young individual. Then to be told that this might be the thing that might take you out was like, whoa... it kinda floored me.”

Since then, Hemsworth has upheaved his life, and revealed the changes he’s introduced after sdis overing the news.

Chris Hemsworth (Getty Images)

Speaking to Men’s Health, Hemsworth, who is known for his muscly physique, said he is “incorporating more solitude into his life” and has lowered the amount he exercises.

“I’ve always been pretty consistent with my exercise commitments, but lately I’ve really felt the importance of taking time for yourself without any outside voice or stimulation and making time for stillness,” he told the outlet.

The actor, who is sleeping more regularly as well as having ice baths, also addressed the way his physique changes for roles, stating: “My weight fluctuates a lot due to differing roles and also my own interests in regards to challenging my body in different ways.”

He continued: “‘I’m lifting less frequently than I was and I’m incorporating more cardio and endurance workouts which I much prefer than heavy body building style sessions.’