At 62, the former breakfast TV host revealed her Alzheimer’s diagnosis arrived 18 months ago following symptoms of anxiety and brain fog.
Ms Phillips told The Mirror: “This disease has ravaged my family and now it has come for me.
“And all over the country there are people of all different ages whose lives are being affected by it – it’s heartbreaking.
“I just hope I can help find a cure which might make things better for others in the future.”
Ms Phillips is currently taking part in a clinical drug trial that scientists hope will revolutionise the treatment for Alzheimer’s.
The former GMTV (now ITV Breakfast) TV host is taking a new drug called Miridesap, which scientists hope could slow down the progression of the brain condition.
The drug is administered three times a day with tiny needles and is being trialled by the University College Hospital (UCH) in London.
Ms Phillips said: “There is still an issue with this disease that the public thinks of old people, bending over a stick, talking to themselves.
“But I’m still here, getting out and about, meeting friends for coffee, going for dinner with [her husband] Martin [Frizell] and walking every day.”
Mr Frizell, 64, shared how the mother-of-two’s crippling anxiety towards the end of 2021 was initially thought to be menopause.
While put on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which eased some of the anxiety, the brain fog remained.
This prompted the couple to seek specialist support, which eventually led to the Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
The Alzheimer’s Association pointed out seven early warning signs of the condition.
As Ms Phillips experienced, a change in mood and personality could be one of the first signs of the brain condition.
A person may become “confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious”, and may become easily upset.
Additional symptoms can include:
- Memory loss that disrupts daily life
- Challenges in planning or solving problems
- Difficulty completing familiar tasks
- Confusion with time or place
- Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
- New problems with words in speaking or writing.
If you or a loved one experiences these symptoms, speak to a GP.
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