Using five strands of hair, scientists have sequenced the genome of one of history’s greatest composers, Ludwig van Beethoven, nearly 200 years after his death, giving them a better understanding of the liver disease that killed him.
What did the genome reveal about Beethoven?
- Beethoven’s genome showed that the German composer had a genetic predisposition to liver disease and was also infected with the hepatitis B virus.
- An autopsy on Beethoven’s body after his death in 1827 at the age of 56 in Vienna showed that he had cirrhosis of the liver, a condition often caused by heavy drinking.
- The new results indicate that there are many factors behind his disease, such as genetic factors, viral infection and alcohol consumption.
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The real cause of death of Beethoven
Tristan Page, a biological anthropologist at the University of Cambridge and principal investigator of the study published in the journal Current Biology, said:
- “Beethoven’s risk of developing liver disease, which often stems from mutations in two genes … can increase to almost three times the risk of developing all forms of progressive liver disease.”
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- “These risk factors are not a major concern on their own for most sufferers, but it was possible for them to have an adverse interaction effect with his alcohol consumption,” Archyde.com reported.
- Prior to this study, alcohol was the only known risk factor for Beethoven’s hepatic impairment.
The presence of the hepatitis B virus, integrated into Beethoven’s genome, indicates that he had a liver infection at least a few months before his death, and possibly sooner.
Beethoven’s hearing loss
- The composer suffered a gradual loss of hearing starting from the age of 29, until he lost his hearing completely at the age of 44, yet he continued to compose his wonderful melodies.
- Despite researchers’ efforts to determine the cause of his hearing loss, success has not been their ally so far, as Page said: “We were unable to find a genetic explanation for Beethoven’s hearing loss.”