Ruth Langsford opened up about her fears of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (Image: ITV)
has candidly expressed her fears about her future health, particularly regarding Alzheimer’s disease.
Both of the presenter’s parents have suffered from the devastating illness, with Ruth’s father Dennis dying from it at the age of 84 in 2012 after first exhibiting symptoms in the 1990s.
Dennis was lovingly cared for at home by his wife and Ruth’s mother, Joan, who herself later developed dementia and now resides in a care facility.
The spectre of Alzheimer’s looms large for Ruth, so much so that she has declined to take a predictive test to assess her risk of developing the condition, as there is currently no cure.
Despite her profound anxiety, Ruth remains determined to embrace life and cherish her current well-being.
Speaking to Woman & Home Magazine, Ruth admitted: “I’m a bit head in the sand about Alzheimer’s. Both my parents have had it, I know what it entails and it horrifies me.
…
Both of Ruth’s parents have suffered from the devastating condition (Image: @ruthlangsford)
“There’s a test you can do to know if you are more likely to get it but, because there’s no medication to treat it, I’d rather not know. When I have senior moments, as people call them, I panic.”
Ruth candidly expressed: “Then I let it go, because I can’t bear to think about that. Live your life, have a glass of wine, see your friends, have some fun because none of us know [what the future holds].
“My life is about finding balance. I want to eat as well as I can, but I don’t want to be a bore. I can’t bear being out for dinner with people who go, ‘Is there butter in that? ‘ I think, ‘Just eat a chip or go home!'”
The former This Morning presenter, last year, also voiced her fears on the How To Be 60 podcast.
Whenever they say that you can do a test to see if you would be prone to getting Alzheimer’s, I don’t really want to do it, because there’s no cure at the moment,” she said.
Don’t miss…
Ruth admitted the thought of being diagnosed with the disease “horrifies” her (Image: ITV)
“If I could do that test and they said: ‘right, now you know, this is what you do to stop you getting it. You have to take this tablet, you have to do these exercises, you have to eat this or don’t eat that.’ But there’s nobody who can tell you that, so I almost don’t want to know.”
Ruth confessed she often worries she might exhibit early signs of dementia.
The TV star mused over common instances that nudge her anxiety, saying: “But of course, every time I go, ‘Where are my glasses?’ And they’re on my head, or, ‘Where are my keys?’ And I have those blank moments where you suddenly forget someone’s name, somebody you know really well.
“You think, ‘Oh my God,’ so of course I worry, with both parents. But I try not to think about it too much, because it’s too depressing.”
The March edition of Woman & Home Magazine will be available for purchase from 6th February 2025.