What is heart disease? Lisa Marie Presley, her family's history of heart conditions
MANILA, Philippines — Singer Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of the late Elvis Presley and his wife Priscilla, passed away last January 12 at the age of 54 after suffering a cardiac arrest.
No cause of death has officially been publicized, especially as Lisa was seen attending the 2023 Golden Globes with Priscilla just two days before her death, but a look into her family shows the Presleys have history with heart disease.
Heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), refers to conditions that affect the heart and arteries and are often regarded as "silent killers" as they are never noticed until an individual experiences a heart attack, heart failure, or an arrhythmia.
Heart attacks occur when a part of the organ stops receiving blood, commonly mixed with cardiac arrest which is the heart suddenly stopping, while heart failure is when the organ cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to support other organs.
The key risk factors for heart disease are high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and smoking, while medical conditions and lifestyle choices such as diabetes, overweightness or obesity, an unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and excessive drinking can increase risks as well.
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When Elvis passed away in 1977 just aged 42 (Lisa was only nine years old then), it was reported that he suffered an arrhythmia, which are intense chest palpitations, then later an enlarged heart, clogged coronary arteries, high blood pressure, and opiate addiction were considered factors in his death.
Elvis' parents, Lisa's paternal grandparents, both died from heart-related issues. Gladys Love died in 1958 just aged 46 from heart failure, while Vernon died at age 63, two years after Elvis, due to a cardiac arrest.
The CDC has noted that a family history of heart disease makes one more likely to develop a heart problem in the future.
In the Philippines, heart disease remains a major cause of death, being the leading cause of mortality from January to July 2022 as recorded by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Beginning 1990, and on a five-year average that began 1985-1989, the Department of Health noted that heart disease overtook Pneumonia as the leading cause of mortality in the Philippines and remained in the spot years even through the 2010s.
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