Beethoven’s cause of death revealed almost two centuries later

 A study named “Genomic analysis of hair from Ludwig van Beethoven” dived into the family history of the German composer, revealing his potential cause of death, 196 years after he passed away.

Published in Current Biology journal, the study analyzed eight locks of hair attributed to the late composer and unveiled that he had a predisposition for liver disease which caused him a hepatitis B infection.

“Beethoven requested that following his death, his disease be described and made public. Medical biographers have since proposed numerous hypotheses, including many substantially heritable conditions,” said the study.

Beethoven, who passed away at the age of 56 after a protracted illness, was already known to have started losing his hearing in his 20s and to have become functionally deaf by his mid-40s.

He was also known to have suffered from persistent diarrhea and excruciating stomach pains starting at the age of 22.

“We could not identify a genetic explanation for Beethoven’s hearing,” stated the study’s summary.

The most significant findings of the study were a deep dive into his liver disease, which he had because he inherited the genetic predisposition to.

His excessive alcohol consumption was an important factor resulting in unfavourable effects leading to his health deterioration.

The researchers stated that the hairs they studied were gathered from public and private collections during the last six years of Beethoven’s life.

The German composer, who bid the world farewell at the young age of 56, remains one of the best classical music icons.