Former Basketball Star Miki Berkovich’s Dementia Raises Awareness of Lewy Body Disease

The recent revelation by former basketball player Miki Berkovich’s family about his battle with Lewy body dementia has brought public attention to this severe cognitive disorder and the challenges faced by patients and their families. Professor Eitan Friedman, director of the Genetic Institute for Early Detection at Assuta Ramat Hahayal, explained in an interview that societal awareness of such diseases is evolving similarly to how cancer was once a taboo topic but is now openly discussed.

Medically, Lewy body dementia differs from classic Alzheimer’s disease, characterized by unique symptoms such as cognitive fluctuations, sleep disturbances, and variable progression rates. Discovered in 1912 by Lewy in Alois Alzheimer’s lab, the disease currently lacks reliable methods to predict the speed of decline, complicating treatment and emotional coping.

Professor Friedman outlined five key lifestyle measures to reduce dementia risk: regular physical activity, avoiding smoking, and managing cholesterol, hypertension, and diabetes. He also noted environmental and health factors like air pollution and hearing loss that influence disease development. Emphasizing evidence-based medicine, Friedman warned against unproven and costly treatments such as multivitamins, dietary supplements, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, stating they have no clinically proven benefit.

This increased awareness following Berkovich’s disclosure highlights the need for public education on dementia types, risk reduction, and reliance on scientifically validated therapies.