Billy Mays: Pulmonary Embolism
(AP)
Billy Mays died of a pulmonary embolism - not from brain trauma, per reports out of Tampa.
According to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Vernard Adams, Mays "had an enlarged heart, a thickening of the wall of the ventricle which takes blood to the heart."
[By the way, I earlier described this as "heart disease," but a reader noted that it was not technically "heart disease;" however, according to a report recently posted in People, the ME did in fact find evidence of heart disease, and an enlarged heart would certainly suggest as much, while his wife seems to believe heart disease was also the cause.]
Here's the statement from his Deborah Mays, and on the jump, St. Pete Times' Kim Wilmath wrap...
"Billy would be overwhelmed to see that his life touched so many people in a positive way. The support we have received during this difficult time has been tremendous. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers. While it provides some closure to learn that heart disease took Billy from us, it certainly doesn't ease the enormous void that his death has created in our lives. As you can imagine, we are all devastated. We are asking that you respect our privacy as I will not be conducting any media interviews in the near future."
And here's Rehema Ellis's wrap from over the weekend...
TAMPA — Preliminary autopsy results for TV pitchman Billy Mays suggest he died of heart disease, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner said today.
The autopsy done this morning reveals no evidence of head trauma or drug abuse, said Dr. Vernard Adams. There had been speculation that Mays might have been injured during a hard landing Saturday at Tampa International Airport.
The autopsy showed he had hardening of the arteries, Adams said. He was taking pain medication after two recent hip surgeries, but there is no evidence that contributed to his death, Adams said.
Adams said Mays had no knowledge of his heart disease and was taking no medication for it.
"By definition, sudden death can't be predicted," Adams said. "This was a total surprise."
Adams said 25 to 30 percent of deaths from heart disease are sudden.
A full autopsy should be completed within eight to 10 weeks.
Deborah Mays, Billy Mays' wife, issued this statement:
"Billy would be overwhelmed to see that his life touched so many people in a positive way. The support we have received during this difficult time has been tremendous. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers. While it provides some closure to learn that heart disease took Billy from us, it certainly doesn't ease the enormous void that his death has created in our lives. As you can imagine, we are all devastated. We are asking that you respect our privacy as I will not be conducting any media interviews in the near future."
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Comments (6)
Billy Mays died of a pulmonary embolism NOT HEART DISEASE. To find out what PE really is visit the Vascular Disease Foundation at www.vdf.org!
Billy Mays died of a pulmonary embolism NOT HEART DISEASE. To find out what PE really is visit the Vascular Disease Foundation at www.vdf.org!
Billy Mays was scheduled to have his third hip replacement surgery Monday. Hip replacement and knee replacement often lead to a fatal pulmonary embolism within five years after surgery.
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