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When rock-and-roll legend Elvis Presley died on August 16, 1977, at the age of only 42 years old, it was reported that he had a heart attack. According to contemporaneous reporting by The New York Times, the “Hound Dog” singer’s preliminary cause of death was cardiac arrhythmia. Contributing causes were believed to be coronary artery disease as well as mild hypertension. “It is possible in cases like this that the specific cause will never be known,” the coroner, Dr. Jerry Francisco, said at the time. (Here’s what we learned about Elvis Presley’s health after his death.)
In October of that same year, Francisco issued another report, stating: “The cause of death has been ascribed to hypertensive heart disease, with coronary artery heart disease as a contributing factor.” The report further stated that Presley had not died of a drug overdose, although multiple prescription drugs were found in his body (via The New York Times).
Presley’s early death from heart disease wasn’t an isolated case, however. Several generations of his family have also experienced fatal cardiac events, including his beloved only child, Lisa Marie.
Presley’s family has a history of heart disease
According to People, Elvis Presley’s mother, Gladys Love Presley, died at the age of 46 from heart failure. His father, Vernon Presley, died from cardiac arrest at the age of 63. Most recently, his daughter Lisa Marie Presley died in January 2023 at the age of 54 from cardiac arrest related to bowel obstruction. MyHeartDiseaseTeam additionally states that Lisa Marie had several great uncles who succumbed to heart disease before the age of 50. (Read more about the cardiac issues of Lisa Marie Presley’s family.)
Given the number of individuals in the Presley family who have died at fairly young ages from heart-related causes, some, like writer Sally Hoedel, author of “Destined to Die Young,” have suggested that there might have been an inherited condition in their lineage that made them more prone to heart disease (via The U.S. Sun). Hoedel’s theory was that Elvis’ maternal grandparents’ “incestuous” marriage was to blame (the pair were first cousins).
Genetic heart condition may have been behind Presley’s death
While Hoedel’s salacious claim can’t be proven, it has been speculated by other sources that Elvis Presley had a genetic heart condition, which may have led to his premature death. MyHeartDiseaseTeam discusses the fact that genetic testing was done on a hair sample believed to belong to Presley. The sample was found to have genetic changes consistent with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a condition that can cause heart enlargement and increase a person’s risk for sudden cardiac death. This finding aligns with Presley’s autopsy, which revealed thickening of the heart muscle. However, it cannot be reliably confirmed whether the hair sample was authentic since it was purportedly purchased from a friend of Elvis’ barber (via NDTV).
Hoedel additionally speculated that those in Elvis’ family tree had a genetic defect called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. In her book, she claimed that Elvis’ autopsy showed that he was a carrier for this disorder and that it contributed to his poor health in his final years (via Mirror). Per a 2023 study published in ERJ Open Research, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is associated with an increased risk of dying from heart failure as well as lung and liver problems.
