Dr. Oz says mom Suna has Alzheimer's: 'I missed the signs'

Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Dr. Oz says his mom, Suna Oz, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

The 59-year-old television personality, born Mehmet Oz, went public about his mom's "devastating" diagnosis on social media Monday.

Dr. Oz said on Twitter that he "missed the signs" that Suna was struggling with dementia. He elaborated on his mom's condition in a post on Instagram.

"I recently found out that my mom, Suna, has Alzheimer's disease. Hearing the official diagnosis was devastating. But just as painful for me was the realization that the signs were there all along -- I had just been overlooking them," Dr. Oz wrote.

Dr. Oz said Suna showed increased stubbornness and started doing her makeup differently and giving away her belongings prior to her diagnosis. He urged others to investigate changes in their loved ones.

"It was painful to admit that my mother's health was declining, but doing so allowed us to get her help as soon as possible," Dr. Oz said. "You have the power to speak up and say something if you suspect any of the above symptoms in a loved one."

Dr. Oz said in a post on his website that early intervention is key "to Alzheimer's prevention and slowing down its progress." He listed six early symptoms: challenges in planning, difficulty completing tasks, confusing time and place, problems with words, trouble understanding visuals, and misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps.

Dr. Oz learned after his mom's diagnosis that he carries the APOE4 gene linked to Alzheimer's disease. He is working to lower his cholesterol and improve his associative memory to decrease his risk of the disease.

Dr. Oz hosts the daytime talk show The Dr. Oz Show, which completed a 10th season in July.