Ted Turner reveals he has Lewy body dementia

ATLANTA — Media mogul Ted Turner has revealed he has Lewy body dementia, a progressive disease that is similar to Alzheimer's.

The 79-year-old largely retired businessman spoke with Ted Koppel for an interview with "CBS News Sunday Morning" set to air in full Sunday. The network revealed his diagnosis on Friday to promote the story.

"It's a mild case of what people have as Alzheimer's. It's similar to that. But not nearly as bad. Alzheimer's is fatal," Turner said from his 113,000-acre ranch near Bozeman, Montana. "Thank goodness I don't have that. But, I also have got, let's -- the one that's -- I can't remember the name of it."

He wasn’t kidding.

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He eventually said, "Dementia. I can't remember what my disease is."

Turner then described the symptoms: "Tired. Exhausted. That's the main symptoms, and, forgetfulness."

Lewy body dementia, according to a recent story on verywellhealth.com, affects about 1.3 million Americans. In comparison, about 5 million have Alzheimer's. Those with Lewy body dementia are prone to hallucinations and have issues with balance that can lead to falls.

This article was written by Rodney Ho, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Cox Media Group