Hepatitis B combined with Ludwig van Beethoven’s heavy drinking may explain his liver disease and ultimately, his demise.
Austrian composer Ludwig van Beethoven had troubled health, including hearing loss, gastrointestinal problems, and liver disease. He asked that scientists study his body after he died in hopes of finding the causes of his illnesses, and for the results to be made public. Now, researchers investigating his genomereports. They tracked down locks of the composer’s hair, which were clipped after his death and preserved by family members and collectors throughout the years, and analyzed its DNA.
. Fragments of hepatitis B DNA also lurked in his hair, suggesting he had been infected with the virus late in life. That infection combined with Beethoven’s heavy drinking, researchers report in
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