According to the L.A. County Coroner, Hip-Hop pioneer Heavy D died from what is known as a pulmonary embolism, brought on by deep leg vein thrombosis.
In other words, Heavy D died on November 9th 2011 from a blood clot in his leg that traveled to his lungs, which in turn, restricted blood flow, resulting in his untimely death at just 44 years old.
TMZ reports:
Heavy D died from a pulmonary embolism caused by deep leg vein thrombosis … and a long flight back to L.A. from a Michael Jackson memorial concert may have been a contributing factor.
A pulmonary embolism is a blockage of one or more arteries in the lungs — most often caused by blood clots which travel in from other parts of he body. In Heavy’s case, the clot was formed in his legs.
Days before Heavy died, he was on a flight back from Europe, after performing at the Michael Jackson tribute concert in Wales.
Deep leg vein thrombosis is often associated with long plane flights, in which a clot can form due to prolonged immobility.
Officials from the L.A. County Coroner’s Office say Heavy also suffered from heart disease, which could have been a contributing factor in his death.
The Coroner’s Office has classified the death as “natural.”
