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[Edmond Dantès]

Actor Omar Sharif, who starred in Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago in the 1960s, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

The 83-year-old star's agent confirmed the news to the Associated Press.
It comes after his son Tarek gave an interview to Spain's El Mundo newspaper at the weekend.

"It's difficult to determine what stage it's at," he told the paper. "It's obvious he'll never improve and it will get worse."

Egypt-born Sharif won two Golden Globe awards and an Oscar nomination for his role as Sherif Ali in David Lean's 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia.
He won a further Golden Globe three years later for Doctor Zhivago.

"He still knows he's a famous actor. The loss of memory affects above all specific things, details like when he was in a specific place or who he acted with in a specific film," Tarek El-Sharif told El Mundo.

"He remembers, for example, that it was Doctor Zhivago but he's forgotten when it was filmed.

"He can talk about the film but he forgets its name or he calls it something else instead like Lawrence of Arabia."

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Terribly sad news. He earned much respect as an actor and his passion for the game of Bridge.

 

[HK-47]

The worst disease imaginable. What a sad fate.

 

[Matty77]

That sucks. I would not wish that on someone I hate, nevermind a celebrity I actually respect.

 

[Tom Nook]

Sad

 

[Funky Papa]

Lost one of my grandmothers to Alzheimers.

It's an incredibly cruel ailment that I don't wish to my worst enemy.

 

[nel e nel]

For anyone interested in learning more about where we are in the state of Alzheimer's research and treatment:

http://www.nyas.org/AboutUs/AcademyNews.aspx?cid=16208c3f-c6d9-43ca-97a0-cc5396ab8915

In this five-part podcast series, our Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Initiative offers the public a chance to hear from leaders in the field on topics such as: history of Alzheimer’s disease and discoveries; exploration of disease mechanisms; clinical trials, prevention, and risk reduction; practical information about diagnosis and care; and funding, international activity, and the way forward.

There is so much ignorance and stigma in the general population about Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia that prevent people from seeking proper diagnosis and treatment plans that can really ease the lives of the people dealing with it.