The longtime Jeopardy host, 78, revealed that he opted to test for the neurodegenerative disease after noticing that he couldn’t recall facts with his usual speed.
“I love doing crossword puzzles, and recently I’d be looking at a clue, it’d be 23 across, and I’d be trying to fit the answer into 26 across. I was always off,” he told Vulture. “Because of that I went to be tested for early Alzheimer’s.”
Trebek’s results were initially concerning.
“The first time they tested me they said, ‘It doesn’t look good,’ ” he said. “Then we did more testing and they said, ‘You’re okay. No need to worry.’ “
Trebek said that the concern wasn’t unexpected given his age.
“It’s natural. I’m 78. It’s not like this happened at 50,” he said. “When it’s clear that it’s time for me to go, I’ll go.”