Elvis Presley’s premature death may not have been caused by his lifestyle alone, but brought on by an undiagnosed genetic condition, a new documentary claims.
After tracking down a sample of Elvis’ hair and analysing its DNA, scientists found evidence that the singer was genetically prone to migranes, obesity and heart disease.
The Channel 4 documentary series, which also investigates relics said to hail from famous and infamous names such as Marilyn Monroe, Charles III and Adolf Hitler, sheds new light on the death of the King.
In his later years, Elvis Presley became addicted to junk-food and prescription drugs, which resulted in the former sex symbol becoming hugely overweight, and he died of cardiac arrhythmia at his home Graceland, in Memphis on August 16, 1977, aged 42.
He was also known to have suffered from headaches and bad eyesight, however all of these things may have been in his genes.
In the first episode of Dead Famous DNA, presenter Mark Evans tracks down a sample of Elvis’ hair from a friend of his barber.
Tom B Morgan Jnr claims barber Homer Gilleland captured hair falling from Elvis’ head in a towel placed on his shoulders during his regular trims, and has since stored the hair in a bank vault.
After analysing Elvis’s DNA, scientists found a gene mutation known to cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – a heart muscle disease that usually occurs in men between the ages of 20 and 40, causing which causes the thickening of the heart and weakening of the heart muscle.
Professor Stefan Shuester who extracted Elvis’ DNA from the hair said it was the best genome he has done.
‘This genome of a dead person who has died a long time ago is the best genome we have ever done,’ the Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennyslvania State University said.
‘In fact we can actually decipher nearly 90 per cent of his genome… This is the blueprint of genetic information of what makes a person.’
After extracting the genome, the DNA sample was sent to medical geneticists in Kansas who found several mutations in Elvis’ DNA.
Mutations, known as ‘variants’ can both benefit and harm, and in Elvis’ case the combination of his ‘variants’ may have been fatal.
‘Elvis and his doctor have both been blamed over the years for his premature death, and it was thought his overeating or overdosing on drugs had killed him’, presenter Mark Evans says.
‘Whilst those addictions would not have helped, this new evidence suggests Elvis may have had a flaw in his DNA and his early death was his genetic destiny.’
The analysis, carried out by Dr Stephen Kingsmore, Director of the Centre for Paediatric Genomic Medicine at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City found four major chromosome mutations.
As well as mutations known to cause migranes and glaucoma, two issues which were known to have blighted the junkfood-addicted Elvis’ life in his later years, they also found evidence that he was genetically prone to obesity.
Presley, a junk food addict who relied heavily on prescription drugs, was known to have suffered from headaches, bad eyesight and ballooned in weight towards the end of his life.
Most importantly however was a mutation on Chromosome 11 which is known to cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Elvis displayed many of the symptoms of this disease towards the end of his life including – irregular heartbeat, fatigue, fainting, high blood pressure.
Dr Kingsmore said: ‘We know that Elvis had a strong family history of heart failure, and we know that he died suddenly, and at autopsy his heart was indeed thickened, which is another word for cardiomyopathy of a particular type. So this was a very good fit with Elvis’ clinical picture.
‘There had been so much speculation about cause of death, and so much ill spoken of his lifestyle, and we had this intriguing finding that possibly Elvis actually had a medical illness, and all of the stuff about how he killed himself with his lifestyle might have been very unfair. ‘
After tracking down a sample of Elvis’ hair and analysing its DNA, scientists found evidence that the singer was genetically prone to migranes, obesity and heart disease.
The Channel 4 documentary series, which also investigates relics said to hail from famous and infamous names such as Marilyn Monroe, Charles III and Adolf Hitler, sheds new light on the death of the King.
New evidence: An analysis of the a sample of what is claimed to be Elvis' hair, scientists have found that he was genetically prone to heart muscle disease as well as obesity, glaucoma and migranes
In his later years, Elvis Presley became addicted to junk-food and prescription drugs, which resulted in the former sex symbol becoming hugely overweight, and he died of cardiac arrhythmia at his home Graceland, in Memphis on August 16, 1977, aged 42.
He was also known to have suffered from headaches and bad eyesight, however all of these things may have been in his genes.
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Tom B Morgan Jnr claims barber Homer Gilleland captured hair falling from Elvis’ head in a towel placed on his shoulders during his regular trims, and has since stored the hair in a bank vault.
After analysing Elvis’s DNA, scientists found a gene mutation known to cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – a heart muscle disease that usually occurs in men between the ages of 20 and 40, causing which causes the thickening of the heart and weakening of the heart muscle.
Death of a King: Elvis Presley, pictured in 1977, performing in one of his last concerts, was addicted to junkfood and prescription drugs in the latter years of his life and died of a heart attack in his home Graceland
Professor Stefan Shuester who extracted Elvis’ DNA from the hair said it was the best genome he has done.
‘This genome of a dead person who has died a long time ago is the best genome we have ever done,’ the Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennyslvania State University said.
‘In fact we can actually decipher nearly 90 per cent of his genome… This is the blueprint of genetic information of what makes a person.’
After extracting the genome, the DNA sample was sent to medical geneticists in Kansas who found several mutations in Elvis’ DNA.
Mutations, known as ‘variants’ can both benefit and harm, and in Elvis’ case the combination of his ‘variants’ may have been fatal.
‘Elvis and his doctor have both been blamed over the years for his premature death, and it was thought his overeating or overdosing on drugs had killed him’, presenter Mark Evans says.
‘Whilst those addictions would not have helped, this new evidence suggests Elvis may have had a flaw in his DNA and his early death was his genetic destiny.’
Heartbreak Hotel: Elvis, pictured in his prime in 1958, carried a gene mutation known to cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart muscle disease, which may have remained undiagnosed
The analysis, carried out by Dr Stephen Kingsmore, Director of the Centre for Paediatric Genomic Medicine at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City found four major chromosome mutations.
As well as mutations known to cause migranes and glaucoma, two issues which were known to have blighted the junkfood-addicted Elvis’ life in his later years, they also found evidence that he was genetically prone to obesity.
Presley, a junk food addict who relied heavily on prescription drugs, was known to have suffered from headaches, bad eyesight and ballooned in weight towards the end of his life.
Most importantly however was a mutation on Chromosome 11 which is known to cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Elvis displayed many of the symptoms of this disease towards the end of his life including – irregular heartbeat, fatigue, fainting, high blood pressure.
Dr Kingsmore said: ‘We know that Elvis had a strong family history of heart failure, and we know that he died suddenly, and at autopsy his heart was indeed thickened, which is another word for cardiomyopathy of a particular type. So this was a very good fit with Elvis’ clinical picture.
‘There had been so much speculation about cause of death, and so much ill spoken of his lifestyle, and we had this intriguing finding that possibly Elvis actually had a medical illness, and all of the stuff about how he killed himself with his lifestyle might have been very unfair. ‘
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2588957/Was-genetic-defect-responsible-Elvis-early-death-Hair-strand-analysis-reveals-Elvis-died-underlying-heart-condition.html#ixzz44aijZYsE
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