Corey Haim died of natural causes
May 5th 2010 03:54
When 80s child star Corey Haim died in March this year, it was widely reported that the cause of his death was an overdose of prescription pills. As it turns out, drugs were not the immediate cause of Haim's death at all, with a coroner's report declaring that the 38-year-old died from pneumonia complicated by an enlarged heart, bad lungs and narrowed blood vessels. Although there were traces of eight different drugs found in Haim's system - including prescription pills, over-the-counter medications, and marijuana - these drugs played no direct role in causing Haim's death, the Los Angeles County coroner said earlier this week.
"The pneumonia is what killed him," said Craig Harvey, spokesman for the LA coroner.
Haim's unusually large heart also played a role in his death, said Harvey: "His heart was 530 grams. The average normal heart weighs 300 grams." He also had damaged lungs and arteriosclerosis of his coronary arteries, with some vessels blocked as much as 75 per cent.
While the star of such films as The Lost Boys and License to Drive was something of a poster child for prescription pill addiction, most of the drugs that were in his body at the time of his death were those available from the supermarket, and were being used to treat his flu-like symptoms. Ibuprofen, cough suppressant and over-the-counter painkillers were all present in his system, "but nothing was at a level that would have contributed to his death," said Harvey.
The news is sure to be something of a reprieve for Haim's family and close friends. While there is no denying that his struggles with drug addiction would have weakened his body over his short lifetime, it's rather comforting to know that they did not directly lead to his demise. It's also a reminder to those of us who tend to jump to conclusions that the most obvious answer is not always the right one. Rest in peace, Corey Haim.
R.I.P. Corey Haim, 1971 - 2010
"The pneumonia is what killed him," said Craig Harvey, spokesman for the LA coroner.
Haim's unusually large heart also played a role in his death, said Harvey: "His heart was 530 grams. The average normal heart weighs 300 grams." He also had damaged lungs and arteriosclerosis of his coronary arteries, with some vessels blocked as much as 75 per cent.
While the star of such films as The Lost Boys and License to Drive was something of a poster child for prescription pill addiction, most of the drugs that were in his body at the time of his death were those available from the supermarket, and were being used to treat his flu-like symptoms. Ibuprofen, cough suppressant and over-the-counter painkillers were all present in his system, "but nothing was at a level that would have contributed to his death," said Harvey.
The news is sure to be something of a reprieve for Haim's family and close friends. While there is no denying that his struggles with drug addiction would have weakened his body over his short lifetime, it's rather comforting to know that they did not directly lead to his demise. It's also a reminder to those of us who tend to jump to conclusions that the most obvious answer is not always the right one. Rest in peace, Corey Haim.
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