Micheline Roquebrune, widow of Sean Connery, revealed in an interview to Daily Mail that her husband had dementia prior to dying in his sleep Saturday.
91 year-old Roquebrune was married to the screen legend for 45 years. She stated, “It was no life for him. He was not able to express himself latterly.
“At least he died in his sleep and it was just so peaceful. I was with him all the time and he just slipped away. It was what he wanted.
He had dementia and it took its toll on him. He got his final wish to slip away without any fuss.”
It is unclear what type of dementia Sean Connery could have had or whether he had Alzheimer’s. In 2013 a German newspaper, Bild am Sonntag, reported the actor was battling Alzheimer’s.
The Oscar winner, known as “Tommy” growing up, was at his home in the Bahamas, and had reportedly been battling a “long illness.”
According to a statement from his publicist, “There will be a private ceremony followed by a memorial yet to be planned once the virus has ended.”
His prior medical issues included a duodenal ulcer, which cost him his career in the Navy, leading to an early discharge.
He allegedly in his older years underwent surgery for “benign throat tumors” and a tumor on his kidney.
The Scottish actor was a Hollywood favorite beyond the 007 series, starring in close to 70 films, including Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade.
One of his regrets was turning down the role of Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, choosing instead to star in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
He was knighted by the Queen in 2000.
This is a developing story.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Currently 5.8 million people in the US suffer from the debilitating and most common cause of dementia and the CDC estimates close to 14 million will be affected by the year 2060.
As we’re surviving other illnesses that could take our lives sooner, such as heart disease and cancer, we as a population are living to an age where brain changes can occur.
Alzheimer’s is the 5th leading cause of death and scientists still struggle to find a cure or means to stave it off.
The average age of symptom revelation is 65, but researchers believe the disease may set in sooner. Over 200,000 currently suffer from early onset Alzheimer’s, or onset before age 65.
I believe nightly oxygen or CPAP therapy (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) might be worth researching as its been postulated that lack of oxygenation can accelerate dementia.
What is Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer’s, a progressive disease in which the brain loses function, is most commonly associated with memory loss. As abnormal proteins build up in the brain (beta-amylaoid and tau), the plaques and neurofibrillary tangles within the nerve cell (neuron), disrupt communication between nerve cells, so memory can easily start to falter. Many people affected with Alzheimer’s lose newer memories first and then progressively lose old ones.
However, since the brain is such a dynamic and brilliantly complex organ, a disease that alters its tissue could manifest in a variety of symptoms, beyond memory loss.
These can include:
- Personality changes
- Difficulty completing once simple tasks
- Social withdrawal
- Labile moods
- Misplacing commonly used objects
- Lack of appropriate judgement
- Issues with problem solving
- Lack of understanding spatial and timing concepts
Hence if a family member appears to lose his way driving home, has difficulty dressing himself appropriately, avoids family gatherings, appears to get angry for no apparent reason, or even offers a young baby an object for a much older individual, these may be signs of a dementia such as Alzheimer’s.
Although Caucasians comprise the majority of cases overall, the CDC found among those over 65, African-Americans have the highest rate at nearly 14%, and Hispanics at 12%.
In a recent study, researchers from Northwestern University’s Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease Center found four additional symptoms that may be early signs of Alzheimer’s. These include:
- Difficulty with speech, vocabulary pool, process and articulating what one wants to say (aphasia)
- Difficulty writing from a motor and conceptual standpoint
- Difficulty reading, including comprehension
- Displaying exaggerated confidence
The study authors state these signs may be overlooked and could be very telling of one’s early disease progression.
To diagnose Alzheimer’s, the medical provider may employ a variety of testing measures including basic history and physical, blood tests to rule out thyroid and vitamin deficiencies, lumbar puncture, CT Scans to rule out bleeds, masses, or stroke, MRI Brain scans, neuropsychological tests, and amyloid PET scans.
Although currently a cure for Alzheimer’s does not exist, there are many medications being researchered to slow down the progression of the disease and a variety of environmental and behavioral interventions could allow the patient to navigate easier with their challenges.
Can Daily Ibuprofen Prevent Alzheimer’s?
How to prevent Alzheimer’s remains up for debate, but healthy diet, weight, exercise, and control of one’s blood pressure and blood sugar have been suggested.
The earlier Alzheimer’s is diagnosed, the easier it may be to manage, hence family members need to learn and look out for the above symptoms.
Dr. Daliah 
Leave a comment