Sharon Osbourne Alzheimer’s Disease: Ozzy’s Wife’s Test Results Prompts Dying Fears
Ozzy Osbourne’s wife has endured a lot of adversity in her life: survived colon cancer, learned she’s at risk for breast cancer, battled depression, tackled collapsed boobs from faulty implants, and other things. However, after a controversial genetic test revealed her increased chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease, Sharon Osbourne revealed a deeply-seated fear of dying from the same condition that claimed her father’s life years ago, citing a Mirror report.
Osbourne, 62, recently chatted about her medical profile and a lingering fear that has gripped her privately ever since. The former X Factor judge, who now co-hosts the popular hit show The Talk, spoke about her decision to undergo gene testing to rule out or confirm certain medical conditions. Shockingly, she learned she is at risk for the debilitating disease.
“Ozzy and I had these tests done at a university in England, and the results took three months to come back. They test every single cell, chromosome and gene in your body; it’s like a DNA test but a million times more sophisticated.”
“The results showed I have two of the four genes that give it to you. They’re not the two major genes, but they’re still there and I have them.”
Sharon Osbourne Alzheimer’s disease fears are rooted in the memory of her father, music mogul Don Arden, who died from the insidious condition in 2007.
“I was terrified because my dad died from Alzheimer’s. It is the most soul-destroying disease. To see someone you love come down with it… it’s wicked, it really is.”
“There is nothing I can do to prevent it, nothing. People say to take cod liver oil and do puzzles and things, but then I look at people diagnosed with dementia. My father was super active mentally, and take Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan… they were all so active, and that’s what really frightens me.”
Alzheimer’s is “a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks.”
Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne agree ‘suicide pact’ to cover life-threatening illnesses & Alzheimer’s: http://t.co/WwJDLtLHiV pic.twitter.com/IdaCyif5Wo
— IndyPeople (@TheIndyPeople) July 3, 2014
The most common type of gene associated with the development of Alzhheimer’s disease is the apolipoprotein E (APOE). Genetics testing has proven that this type of gene greatly increases a person’s risk of developing the deadly condition. Two others, e2 and e3, reduce the risk and has no increased risk, respectively.
Sharon Osbourne’s worry is understandable, but the good news is that not everyone whose genetic makeup contains one or two APOE e4 genes goes on to develop Alzheimer’s. And because some people who don’t have the gene still present with the disease, it shows that it is part of a risk profile, but not necessarily a cause, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Ironically, Ozzy, who is known to have abused drugs, alcohol and indulged in macabre acts — bat head-eating comes to mind — fared much better than Sharon. In fact, Osbourne couldn’t believe her husband didn’t have an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease, or anything else. Nowadays, her hubby is allergic to alcohol and coffee. Imagine that?
“They originally offered the test to Ozzy because they couldn’t believe he was still alive after all he’d been through. They wanted to use him as an experiment.”
“So Ozzy had it done and, unbelievably, he came out so clean. He came out allergic to alcohol, coffee and dust. Dust! He is so healthy, it’s ridiculous.”
Although Sharon Osbourne is fearful of developing Alzheimer’s disease, she is not letting it slow her down. Today, she is enjoying the success of a daytime talk show, eating healthy, and gearing up for a documentary run of The Osbournes, the show that put their family on the map. Stay tuned for that.
[Image via: ExtraTV]
