Here's What Apparently Killed Harry Morton

Undiagnosed heart disease, per preliminary autopsy results
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 27, 2019 12:40 PM CST
Here's What Apparently Killed Harry Morton
In this Thursday Sept. 7, 2006, file photo, Hollywood actress Lindsay Lohan, left, and boyfriend, Harry Morton arrive at London's Heathrow Airport from Venice, Italy.   (AP Photo/File)

Celebrity restaurateur Harry Morton's death at age 38 seems to be from natural causes. Preliminary tests carried out by a deputy LA County medical examiner show the Pink Taco founder had coronary artery disease and a mildly enlarged heart, a family spokesperson tells Page Six. Morton, grandson of the Morton's co-founder and son of the Hard Rock Cafe co-founder, was found dead by his brother at his Beverly Hills home Saturday; he had dined with his family just the day prior and was reportedly in a good mood. One source says Morton, who also owned the Viper Room nightclub, had no drugs in his system, and another says no foul play is suspected. "He was healthy. No drug use," one source says. "He ran marathons and loved to go fishing."

A leading cardiothoracic surgeon and friend of the Morton family says through a spokesperson that Morton had calcification in three main arteries and experienced sudden cardiac death, in which a person is killed by an unexpected loss of heart function. In more than half of all cases, there are no advance warning signs, and a source tells the New York Daily News that was indeed the case with Morton. Page Six notes males are twice as likely as females to suffer SCD, and it typically strikes people in their mid-30s to mid-40s. A memorial service is planned for Saturday, though Morton's funeral is being delayed while further tests are carried out. His official cause of death is still pending. Lindsay Lohan, who famously dated Morton a decade ago, posted a tribute to him on Instagram. (More heart disease stories.)

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