When actor Chris Hemsworth, aka Thor, God of Thunder, agreed to host a National Geographic series about extending the human life span, he didn’t expect to discover a genetic risk of his own. But that’s what happened as Hemsworth revealed on an episode of “Limitless” that he carries a common change in the APOE gene associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Hemsworth almost opted to keep his finding private, but in the end he decided to go public, a decision reminiscent of actor Angelina Jolie, who in 2013 revealed that she carries a change in the gene called BRCA1 that confers a high risk for breast and ovarian cancer. Jolie, another actor whose roles have included superheroes on screen, chose to have risk-reducing surgeries and inspired many to get similar testing, and her example sparked broad discussion about the power of genes to offer predictions about the future risk for cancer.
Now, the complementary experiences of these two “superheroes” offer a chance to clarify a few key principles around genetic testing for the public.
