Fans were shocked by the sudden death of legendary comedian Gilbert Gottfried, who died on Tuesday aged just 67.
His family called him “the most iconic voice in comedy” as they confirmed the devastating news in a statement Tuesday afternoon, saying “we are heartbroken” and sharing only that he was returning after a “long illness.” had died.
Gottfried’s representative, Glenn Schwartz, has since shared that the actor succumbed to a cardiac abnormality called recurrent ventricular tachycardia, an arrhythmia caused by myotonic dystrophy type 2.
Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle wasting and weakness that primarily affects the limbs and face but can cause increasingly serious complications involving respiratory, skeletal and cardiac muscles.
People with DM are at higher risk of irregular heartbeats, including ventricular tachycardia, an arrhythmia in the lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart that makes the heart beat faster. A sustained accelerated rhythm can cause a fatal drop in blood pressure.
Gottfried’s heart condition has been public knowledge for some time.
On the cusp of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he canceled a series from performing live in Montana when his doctors reportedly advised him not to fly due to his weakened heart during a virus outbreak.
Read the rest of our coverage of Gilbert Gottfried:
https://nypost.com/2022/04/12/gilbert-gottfrieds-cause-of-death-revealed-we-are-heartbroken/ Gilbert Gottfried’s cause of death revealed: ‘We are heartbroken’