The five hair samples helped scientists discover insights about family history, chronic health problems and what might have contributed to his death at the age of 56.
Before composer Ludwig van Beethoven died on March 27, 1827, it was his wish that his ailments be studied and shared so"as far as possible at least the world will be reconciled to me after my death."
Since his death, questions have swirled around what ailed Beethoven and his true cause of death. Within the last seven years of his life, the composer experienced at least two attacks of jaundice, which is associated with liver disease, leading to the general belief that he died from cirrhosis. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | Omny Studio But five of the samples all came from the same European male and matched his German ancestry. Beethoven had hand delivered one of the locks himself to the pianist Anton Halm in April 1826, saying"Das sind meine Haare!"
Beethoven's genetic data also helped the researchers rule out other potential causes of his ailments, such as celiac disease, an autoimmune condition, lactose intolerance or irritable bowel syndrome. But the researchers cautioned that the timing of all of these events was critical to understanding what contributed to Beethoven's death. Future research could reveal more insights — including the reason behind his hearing loss, the authors said.
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