Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Heath Ledger Remembrance Forum

Major Developments Update: Last updated 2/8/08

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HerrKaiser:

--- Quote from: MaineWriter on January 28, 2008, 10:11:18 pm ---This is not necessarily true. A reference I found (I have bolded the relevant parts, just to make it easier for those on this site who are not used to reading medical abstracts):

Med J Aust. 2004 Feb 2;180(3):110-2.

Causes of sudden cardiac death in young Australians.

Doolan A, Langlois N, Semsarian C.

Agnes Ginges Centre for Molecular Cardiology, Centenary Institute, Newtown, NSW.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the causes of sudden cardiac death in people aged 35 years or younger. DESIGN AND SETTING: A review of all autopsies erformed between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 2002 at a major Sydney forensic medicine department serving an area with over 2 million people. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of various types of cardiac disease causing sudden death in those aged <or= 35 years; proportion of deaths in which no cause was found at autopsy.
RESULTS: There were 10 199 autopsies performed during the study period. Of these, 2986 (29.2%) deaths occurred in people aged <or= 35 years; 193 were classified as sudden cardiac deaths. The cause of sudden death in this group was not established in 60 (31%), and was presumed to be due to primary arrhythmogenic disorders. Coronary artery disease occurred in 46 (24%), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy/unexplained left ventricular hypertrophy in 29 (15%), and myocarditis in 23 (12%).
CONCLUSIONS: Unexplained deaths, presumed to result from sudden primary arrhythmogenic causes, occur in young Australians with structurally normal hearts. That underlying disease-causing genetic defects may be involved has clinical implications for family members.


I won't overdo you with studies but I found others that seem to have the same ~30% finding. So there is a very real possibility that Heath died of a lethal cardiac arrhythmia not associated with a structural cardiac abnormality, thus not being seen on autopsy.

L


--- End quote ---

Arrhythmogenic disease is not as easily found as a more standard "heart attack" but it is determinable via autopsy if the heart is examined closely. No question.

however, the initial flurry of media-based diagnoses and police reports promoting a drug related death may have caused the patholigist to not look as closely and deeply as he should have. And who knows who does the posts for a DOAs in a morgue like NYC? Perhaps not the best. It was performed much faster than had origianlly been forecast and the inconclusive findings, followed by the immediate release of Heath to the funeral home, may result in unaswered questions forever.

louisev:
A much kinder-worded article about Heath seeking to reconcile with Michelle.  It could all be speculation and "sources" but it is somewhat easier to read than lapdancers snorting coke at hotels.

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272618556.shtml

Verona:
Yikes, Louise... even that sentence was hard to read!  :P

Meryl:
I just finished watching "The Insider" and "Entertainment Tonight," and they're busily digging up any dirt they can on Heath's partying and drug use.  They described a cocaine party he went to at the Chateau Marmont after the SAG Awards two years ago, of which there is supposedly a video.  They also implied that Michelle wanted him to get tested for drugs before letting him see Matilda.  They promised for tomorrow some sort of theory on what caused his death and were eagerly anticipating the toxicology results.  So distasteful and ugly!  It makes me so sad for his family.  :(  :(  :(

Another thing of interest: they showed a picture of Heath's father supposedly taken today at the airport, saying he was back to talk to officials about the inquest.  I thought he was on his way to Australia yesterday.  They said that the funeral was expected to be Thursday or Friday in Perth.

Brown Eyes:

Yeah, Meryl, reports like that really are infuriating and just so disrespectful.

I saw on E!News tonight that Heath's Dad was in NYC today, which is causing some confusion (according to E!) about the timing of Heath's funeral.  I really have no idea what's reliable and what's not at this point. 

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