Fiona Phillips wonders if the early morning starts on GMTV have had a negative impact (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Fiona Phillips wonders if the early mornings involved when presenting GMTV could have been a factor in her diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
In July, the ITV presenter, 62, revealed her health battle publicly, a year after being diagnosed.
Now, the TV star admits to questioning why she has been faced with the ‘dreadful disease.’
‘I ask myself why I got this dreadful disease,’ she shared.
Fiona recalls being required to wake up at 3am to present the ITV show that began at 6am. The early starts occurred between 1997 and 2008 whilst she was at the helm with Eamonn Holmes, and she finds herself contemplating if that has played a part.
‘I wonder whether all the years of getting up so early when I was working on GMTV contributed to me getting Alzheimer’s so young,’ she stated.
Fiona had to wake up at 3am (Picture: ITV / Rex Features)
Fiona hosted the show from 1997 to 2008 (Picture: ITV/REX)
While speaking to Woman and Home, Fiona spoke about initially misdiagnosing herself.
‘Getting my diagnosis was devastating. It was about two years ago that I started to realise something wasn’t quite right.’
She continued: ‘Initially, I put my symptoms, like getting confused and fatigued, down to menopause, even though I hadn’t suffered from them before. Menopause kind of covers everything, doesn’t it?’
Fiona opened up on her new drug trial (Picture: Dan Kennedy/Woman & Home)
Fiona opened up to Woman and Home (Picture: Dan Kennedy/Woman and Home)
Fiona is now participating in a clinical trial at University College Hospital London searching for a cure, and her This Morning editor husband Martin Frizell, 64, has been providing welcome support.
‘I’m taking part in a revolutionary drug trial that’s trying to find a cure. It involves a brand-new drug and a placebo, and I have no idea which one I’m on,’ said the mum-of-two.
‘There are risks, including bleeding on the brain, so I’m a guinea pig, but there’s a real chance it could help.’
Fiona is being supported by husband Martin (Picture: Dave J Hogan/Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
After seeing both of her parents battle the disease, Fiona told The Mirror it had ‘ravaged’ her family and had now ‘come for’ her.
‘I felt more angry than anything else because this disease has already impacted my life in so many ways; my poor mum was crippled with it, then my dad, my grandparents, my uncle. It just keeps coming back for us.’
Now, Fiona is trying to ‘live’ with the diagnosis and not let it ‘ruin things’ and has praised the public for being so lovely.
Alzheimer’s and dementia: the facts
The most common forms of dementia (symptoms of a decline in brain function) are Alzheimer’s disease followed by vascular dementia.
Alzheimer’s is caused when plaques and tangles form in the brain making it increasingly hard for it to function properly. Early symptoms include forgetting recent events, struggling to remember words, becoming disorientated in familiar places and finding it difficult to concentrate.
Common early symptoms of vascular dementia include problems making decisions or following a series of steps, such as cooking a meal; slower speed of thought and trouble sleeping. The condition can also cause significant mood changes and depression and make people behave completely out of character.
Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer – and one in three babies born today will develop dementia in their lifetime. The risk of developing both Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia roughly doubles every five years from the age of 65. Women and men are affected equally. Diabetes, obesity, heart problems and high blood pressure all increase the risk.
However, you can significantly reduce your chances of developing the diseases by leading a healthy lifestyle – not smoking or drinking to excess, eating a balanced diet and getting regular exercise. Keeping mentally and socially active is also beneficial.
The third most common form of dementia – accounting for an estimated 20 per cent of cases – is Lewy body. With this condition, tiny clumps of protein appear in the brain’s nerve cells, causing a range of issues including mood swings, problems processing thoughts, hallucinations, difficulty balancing and walking slowly. Although DLB (dementia with Lewy body) can affect people under 65, it is much more common as we age, affecting men and women equally.
There is currently no cure for any of the forms of dementia. But getting an early diagnosis is very important in allowing you and your loved ones to access all the medical and social support available. If you are worried that you have any of the symptoms, your GP will be able to refer you to a specialist who can carry out a range of tests.
If you are worried that yours or someone else’s symptoms may be dementia, download the Alzheimer’s Society symptoms checklist, on alzheimers.org.uk; for more information or support on anything you’ve read here, call our support line on 0333 150 3456 or visit our website.
‘People have been so kind to me. Because I was worried about sharing the news I have this awful disease,’ she wrote.
Fiona is set to film a special ITV documentary following her Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
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‘I ask myself why I got this dreadful disease.’