Jeremy Clarkson flooded with support as he shares rare health update about his ‘doubled risk of dementia’
JEREMY Clarkson has been flooded with support after revealing he is at "double risk of dementia".
The Sun columnist was given the news after his doctor told him he needed hearing aids.
Writing in The Sunday Times, Jeremy, 63, said: "My brain is having to use a huge amount of computing power trying to fill in the bits of speech it hasn’t been able to hear.
"This has been going on for 12 years, and, being a tolerant sort of guy, I’ve coped.
"But I was told after my most recent medical that hearing loss will double the chance of me catching dementia.”
There is a strong link between hearing loss and dementia as well as general cognitive decline.
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According to the NHS, a person with severe untreated hearing loss is five times more likely to develop dementia.
Someone with moderate hearing loss is three times as likely to get the illness.
Studies have found hearing aids reduce the risk of dementia as they lower the strain put on the brain in trying to decipher sounds.
Jeremy now has a pair of "very snazzy and extremely clever" listening devices which he hopes will dial down the "background twaddle" at drinks parties.
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Fans of The Grand Tour presenter flooded him with well-wishes following his health revelation.
One said: "So brave of you to talk about this - so few people are aware of the correlation between hearing and dementia."
A second echoed: "You're a total trooper - I had no idea about the risks of letting bad hearing go untreated."
While a third chimed in: "I'm in the same boat - all we can do is persevere!"
The Clarkson’s Farm host also opened up about his other health concerns - admitting that "most" of his body is starting to fail him.
Struggling with balance and a sore back are among ailments.
But he's been fighting back and hired a personal trainer last May.
Jeremy joked: "None of the shirts in my wardrobe fit any longer [and] I can barely do up my shoelaces.
"I've been going for walks every day, but while some of them are seven or eight miles long, I'm not sure they're doing much good.
"The problem is that I pootle along extremely slowly, and when I get tired, I slow down even more."
Earlier this year, Jeremy's GP urged him to quit his decades-old smoking habit "immediately" over fears of an "agonising premature death".
