Genealogical researchers have long been investigating what led to the fatal decline of Ludwig van Beethoven’s health–at the request of the iconic musician himself–and new findings taken from samples of his hair show his death and loss of hearing may have been triggered by lead poisoning.
It is believed that Beethoven died from liver and kidney disease at the age of 56, but the road to uncovering what led to his various ailments and deafness has been a considerable challenge for scientists.
Before his death, the composer expressed his wish that his health issues be studied and shared so that, “as far as possible at least the world will be reconciled to me after my death.” At his request, his genome has now been made publicly available so researchers around the world could investigate the unanswered questions about his health.
In addition to hearing loss, Beethoven had recurring gastrointestinal complaints throughout his life, experienced two attacks of jaundice, and faced severe liver disease.
According to the international team of researchers that have been studying the source of his bodily conditions through analyzing locks of his hair for nearly a decade, their findings detected high levels of lead, along with traces of mercury and arsenic.
Using DNA analysis, the team determined which ones truly belonged to the composer and which ones were fake, sequencing his genome by observed his real strands of hair.
The findings, published in a March 2023 report, show that Beethoven had significant genetic risk factors for liver disease and a hepatitis B infection before his death. However, the results didn’t provide any insights into the underlying causes of his deafness, which began in his 20s, or his gastrointestinal condition.
Traces of the chemicals discovered remain trapped in the composer’s strands nearly 200 years after his death, according to a new letter published Monday in the journal Clinical Chemistry.
“These levels are considered as lead poisoning,” said lead study author Nader Rifai, professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School and director of clinical chemistry at Boston Children’s Hospital. “If you walk into any emergency room in the United States with these levels, you will be admitted immediately and you will undergo chellation therapy.”
According to William Meredith, a Beethoven scholar and coauthor of the 2023 genomic analysis and latest study, it’s impossible to understand where the lead poisoning started, as the researchers don’t have hair samples from earlier in the composer’s life.
While these studies are still developing, researchers are growing more confident that lead may be one of the main sources of Beethoven’s poor health, and potentially the main cause of his deafness.
