Whitney Houston’s cause of death has just been released by the L.A. County Coroner, nearly a month after the singer was found dead in her Beverly Hilton hotel room bathtub.
According to the coroner, Whitney’s cause of death was caused by accidental drowning, however, the report also notes heart disease and cocaine were contributing factors to Whitney’s passing away.
L.A. County Coroner’s chief, Craig Harvey, stated that cocaine was in Whitney’s system when she died. Officials say Houston also had traces of marijuana in her body, as well as Xanax (anxiety medication), Flexeril (muscle relaxer), and Benadryl (allergy medication).
Sources close to the investigation stated that Houston suffered from Atherosclerotic heart disease which may have caused her to have a heart attack, therefore, losing consciousness and drowning. Cocaine use is known to cause Atherosclerotic heart disease, which is a build-up of plaque that narrows the small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart, according to the National Institute of Health. It is not known how long the singer had this condition.
Although several pills were found on the scene, including Xanax, Ibuprofen, and Midol, investigators found no evidence of cocaine in the hotel room.
The Houston family released a statement soon after the coroner’s report saying, “We are saddened to learn of the toxicology results, although we are glad to now have closure.”
