Article on possible causes of Mario Lanza's death
Armando
From: leeann <leeanngha...@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:31:44 -0800 (PST)
Dear Armando,
First, heartfelt congratulations to you and Dr Mackowiak for this
breakthrough research. What a wonderful collaboration between two
exceptional scholars. It's tremendously exciting.
I have read some of Dr. Mackowiak's articles published in the Journal
of American Medicine and other journals, and his work is fascinating.
Besides exploring evidence on Mozart, Beethoven, Alexander the Great,
and others, some of his work is interesting in relation to early posts
on this thread about diagnosing Lanza posthumously with mental
disorders. Dr. Mackowiak has also researched post-traumatic stress
disorder in Alexander the Great, Emily Dickinson, Florence
Nightingale, and the explorer Captain James Cook. The diligence with
which he draws conclusions in these and other articles--or states that
evidence is insufficient and conclusions are inappropriate--
peripherally speaks to the impropriety of the methodology of other
biographies.
In any event, this is exceptional; I very much hope you will have time
to share the backstory of how your researched and wrote this article,
and look forward to an extraordinary thread. Again, enormous
congratulations and thanks. Best, Lee Ann
Armando
that I contacted Dr Philip, Mackowiak in February 2009. He
immediately expressed interest in collaborating on a joint article.
The article is based entirely on the research I did for my book. The
task of writing it was made doubly difficult for Dr Mackowiak given
the scant medical records and the repeated refusal by Dr Frank
Silvestri to collaborate with us. Attempts to obtain the records from
the Valle Giulia Clinic in Rome and Dr. Nikolaus Frühwein
(Dr.Frederick Frühwein son) in Hamburg also failed as both claimed the
records had been destroyed. ( Highly unlikely given the notoriety of
the patient in question!)
Nevertheless, Dr. Mackowiak has carried out an outstanding analyses
based on what we do have. I will be making the article available on
our forum as soon as I am given the go ahead
gary from N.S.
I can only echo the post made by LeeAnn, and thank you for this
terrific research. A really fascinating topic,and I look forward to
your additional information forthcoming. Many thanks and cheers.
Gary
Derek McGovern
http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bal-ae.lanza19jan19,0,5559197.story
Derek McGovern
It's wonderful to read Armando's comments in this piece.
zsazsa
thanks a lot for the article in its original form. The photos are
really fantastic. Only a small remark to the article, yes Mario loved
life, more than other people and could enjoy everything enorm in life,
when he would be not like that, he could not put these feelings in his
music, I think this all belogs to Mario`s greatness and unforgettable,
uniwue performances. When the problems came, it would have been very
good, if there would have been someone, like Peter Herman Adler, whom
Mario respected and loved, and was always listening what he advised to
him. But there was noone around him in that time, when he needed
someone whom he could respect and he tried to fight against all the
problems, the way which was very bad to his health. And than came all
of this the totally drastic medical treatment, which gave the rest.
Most part of the article is very precious and thank you Armando a lot
for your great research and achievement. It is most important that the
serious papers are talking about the tragedy, what happened in that
fatal October day, the 7th, thanks a lot.
Cheers from Susan
> A Fatal Zest for Living.pdf
> 513KAnzeigenHerunterladen
Derek McGovern
the subject is too morbid for some members, but I was particularly
interested in Prof. Mackowiak's theory that Mario may have died from a
hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage, caused by a combination of his
untreated hypertension and hCG-induced thyrotoxicosis. The hCG
treatment (i.e., the daily injections of urine from pregnant woman)
were probably as medically unsound as the twilight sleep treatment --
and even the supposed weight loss that it causes has been disputed in
recent studies.
I also found it interesting that systolic blood pressure readings were
not regarded as particularly significant in the 1950s in comparison
with diastolic readings. If it's true that Lanza had a systolic
reading of 290 (an almost-unbelievable pressure), but, as the article
suggests, his diastolic readings were not unusual, then that would
explain why the potentially lethal hypertension was overlooked:
"If Lanza’s diastolic pressures were normal or near normal, there
would have been a tendency to ignore them and also to minimize the
danger of his systolic hypertension. This might explain why his
physicians, who would have been aware of the capacity of hypertension
to damage cerebral and cardiac blood vessels, prescribed none of the
standard treatments for hypertension of the day, except for aggressive
weight reduction. In the 1950s, such treatments varied according to
the stage of the hypertension. In the 'uncomplicated phase,' patients
were 'told of the lack of significance of blood pressure levels and
fluctuations, and that high pressures are not necessarily precursors
of vascular accidents.' "
Very interesting stuff.
Mike McAdam
comment here. While the article is very in-depth and two very
dedicated people produced a noteworthy paper on the probable causes of
Lanza's death, a lot of the terminology is beyond me. I'm very
technical and analytical but, in other ways.
I think there is a part of my conscious brain which shuts out any
morbid, unpleasant facts pertaining to those I know well who have died
a particularly unpleasant death; be it relatives or favourite singers.
Hats off to Armando for pursuing this and getting it published with
the help of his learned colleague.
Mike
leeann
I've been wondering about the silence on this breakthrough article.
too. You explained it awfully well. On a personal level, we want to
shut out the "bad parts" about the deaths of those we care for, and
Mario Lanza has clearly touched us personally and profoundly as
perhaps few singers do. He's in our inner circles and in our hearts.
And then there's other part: the understanding-medical-terminology
part.
I've kind of channeled this article on two parallel paths. One is that
personal perspective that you pointed to, and on that route, I'd also
prefer not to think of Mario Lanza in terms of medical diagnoses,
treatments, and mistreatments any more than I would members of my
family. And I perhaps don't always want to strive for objectivity on
reports (true or anecdotal) of Mario Lanza's issues with alcohol and
food.
The second path is a really the nerdy historian avenue. (sorry,
occupational hazard. I work as a historian;I dissertate as an
historian.) I don't know enough to competently discuss the medical
implications of Armando's and Dr. Mackowiak's (hereinafter, Dr. M)
article either, but the history part seems terribly important--both
for the questions it answers and for those Armando and Dr. M. say
can't be answered on the basis of evidence they now have. I also
suspect it's remarkable because of the audience of the journal in
which it's published.
Armando and Dr. M give us a personal biography and a partial medical
biography of Mario Lanza with an historical explanation of medical
treatments. It's beautifully done. In this brief article we learn a
great deal about Lanza and about his times--about the status of
medicine then, about a man with unparalleled gifts caught in cultural
standards of an era. I was really in awe of how Armando summarized
salient highlights of Lanza's career. It's a whole lot harder to
project concepts in a few words than it is in many. I was really
appreciative to learn of the status of medical thought in the 1950--in
spite of challenging terminology. And we see an amalgamation of
science and humanities in helping us understand what was going on.
From my point of view, Mario Lanza is an historical figure.
(Technically, fifty years is the dividing line between current events
and history--go figure.) The thing is, fictions about his musical and
personal legacy are passed around like truths. Articles like this,
published in journals like this, by authors like this further move his
legacy away from the cliched reiteration of tired tabloid anecdotes
into documenting how and why he's so important. I'm pretty sure back
issues of The Pharos are going to be around in libraries, archives,
and digital archives for quite a while. Best, Lee Ann
zsazsa
wonderfully written, I agree with your write up 100 %. Thank you so
very much that you`ve put into words our feelings and your real
analyse of this article, which took away our breath. Dear Mario`s so
early death is so painful for us, after 50 years, as much as it was in
that fatal October. We want to know what happened, why all of this
tragedy happened, but could not discuss about it, because it is much
too painful subject.
Many, many thanks Lee Ann for your precious analyse.
Love from Susan
Muriel
area of Mario's history. To have a medical person of Dr. Mackowiak's
caliber agree to assist you, attests to Mario's worth as an historical
figure. This article has been going around and around in my head as I
try to figure out what to make of all the possible causes of his
death. Surely Mario was a walking time bomb for quite a while.
I liked your succinct, but also thoroughly descriptive synopsis of his
life. For those who never heard of him, they can now comprehend the
nature of the man behind the celebrity. It is imperative to know how
quickly Mario zoomed into the public consciousness almost without
having time to acclimate himself to such a drastic change of life. He
wanted to be an operatic singer. Opera singers in the 1950s did not
receive the extreme amount of attention that movie stars did. Stardom
suddenly opened the floodgates and there he was, psychologically
changed forever. He had neither time nor strong personalities around
to help him adjust. Plus, being such a creative and highstrung person,
he was not able to build a protective thick skin. He was literately
rowing upstream without a paddle. (I wonder what would have happened
if it had taken ten films for Mario to be noticed? Would he have
become bored and refocused on his operatic training? Just a thought.)
Genes play a very important part in everyone's life journey. If we
know what ailments are prevalent in our families, we have to pay
attention. Many diseases can be offset with proper care, healthy diets
and exercise. I believe Mario's family had problems with diabetes,
high blood pressure and heart ailments. Of course, when we're young,
we tend to think that diseases only happen to old people and there are
more important issues holding our attention. We have time.....
It's a shame there are not more complete medical records to study in
his case. I cannot help but wonder why no diastolic figures are noted
when systolic ones are available. Blood pressure is always written in
systolic/diastolic terms. If his upper readings were so high, then
surely the lower ones would be out of synch also. The systolic
pressure measures greatest force exerted by the heart and the
diastolic pressure measures the least pressure in the arterial
vascular system. The failure of the diastolic to drop in proportion to
the systolic pressure indicates a danger sign. I guess I have to
assume that the doctors were aware of how his readings progressed,
even if we have no evidence. We cannot make up an easy answer. I still
would be more comfortable knowing that he had had some BP medication
prescribed instead of only weight control . Surely Mario had some
water retention along with the extra weight and could have been put on
a mild diuretic. I wonder if his electrolytes were ever checked?
The therapies used for controlling his weight are not your everyday
treatments. Mario had to lose pounds quickly and he was put into
harm's way by using such out of the ordinary means. The very idea
that the hCG injections can activate the level of fibinogen in the
blood is a scary thought. That can lead to formations of blood clots.
It grieves me to know there was no one around to intervene for him.
It's also tragic that they didn't consider the effect of excessive
alcohol use as important to liver disease.
I had forgotten that Mario had fallen at Lana Turner's home in London.
Such traumas are known to cause thrombophlebitis. I know of someone
that happened to not long ago. It is a thought, when he developed pain
only three days later. Mario was a threat to himself when he declined
the prescription of total rest and continued on with his busy concert
schedule. I'm sure he felt pressured by people around him who needed
his ability to produce income. Money was always at the center of all
decisions. Perhaps the suggestion of a thrombectomy was not considered
as it would have meant he had to rest too. Such a procedure might have
been beneficial. Could it be that Mario's lack of discipline further
paved the way to his demise? He could persist and lose weight, but
after his film, etc. was completed he reverted to his old habits. It
seems he could not sustain a healthy lifestyle. Any of the listed
diagnoses could have been fatal. We still wonder and have to come to
our own conclusions.
This article is surely thought provoking, and I thank you, Armando,
for working so diligently to bring such a piece to light.
In the end, everything came together to make such a beautiful voice
possible. Conversely, it seems that everything similarly collided to
take it away much too early. What he left cannot be matched - not in
my lifetime....
Ciao, Muriel
> > and digital archives for quite a while. Best, Lee Ann- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
leeann
such a privilege to have access to your insights and essays. I have
described you as pragmatism and poetry, and I'll stick with that. With
deep appreciation, Lee Ann
Muriel
kind words. I've admired your posts each time I've had the opportunity
to visit here. I'm proud to have the privilege of associating with a
great group of Lanza aficionados. (I understand you are from nearby
VA? I'm from MD, just north of DC. Perhaps we can shout over the
river one day?)
Gotta run before Derek sends this post to the "Meet and greet bin"!!!
Ciao....Muriel
Derek McGovern
given us here is a terrific combination of analysis and
thought-provoking commentary. It's classic Muriella!
Armando
Beautifully expressed, Muriel. Thank you and thanks to Lee Ann for her
equally fine post on the same subject.
Armando
Derek McGovern
Young: A Modern Medical Perspective on Illnesses that Caused the Early
Death of Famous People," by Roy Macbeth Pitkin, M.D. It was published
in 2008, and includes a 16-page chapter titled "Mario Lanza and
Ischemic Heart Disease." The interesting thing is that, although Bob
Dolfi (or at least his compendium Be My Love: A Celebration of Mario
Lanza), has obviously been consulted for the chapter -- Mario's
"reported height" is stated at a Dolfi-approved 5' 10", for one
thing!! -- it's clear that the author has been heavily influenced by
Armando's book:
http://books.google.com/books?id=sP1-QmWF-uAC&pg=PA167&dq=mario+lanza&lr=&ei=9ePsS_L9IqiGkQTvxpSwDA&cd=56#v=onepage&q=mario%20lanza&f=false
(You can read all but two of the pages online at the link above.)
Dr. Pitkin concludes that Lanza probably died as the result of
ischemic heart disease, brought on by the fact that Mario's lifestyle
involved four of the "five major risk factors" for that condition:
high blood pressure, diabetes, high blood cholesterol levels,
excessive body weight, and smoking. He's particularly tough on Lanza's
smoking, which I found very curious. After all, Mario wasn't a heavy
smoker, by all accounts -- and if we're going to blame his "vices",
then surely alcohol rather than tobacco was the real problem?
Definitely worth a read, though.
Tonytenor
Your quite right, very interesting read indeed. While Dr. Pitkin has
some of the facts blurred, he offers some interesting food for
thought. I do have to side with you on the smoking vs drinking
issue. Mario was, and I don't think anyone who knows anything about
him would disagree, much more of a drinker than a smoker. While he
went through his periods of smoking, so did many singers during that
time. I recall an album cover of DiStefano singing Neapolitan songs
and he's got a cigarette in his hand! It was simply a part of life
back then. Without question Lanza drank with greater volume and
consistency than he smoked.
It's very interesting from a medical standpoint; the effects (both
good and bad) of alcohol on the human body. I can only speak with a
very small degree of authority as I work with five vascular surgeons
and I see, first hand, how alcohol effects the vascular/circulatory
system. Without doubt, the liver takes the biggest beating. Often
times with a heavy drinker their arteries are amazingly clear - the
alcohol acting almost like a "drain" cleaner. It does take it's toll
though on the heart and if the drinker is a diabetic it can be even
more destructive. Add in hypertension and the ups and downs with
weight, the physical strain of singing and it all adds up to death at
38. Very sad indeed. Probably the best in depth piece on Mario and
the cause of his death, IMO, is the article that Armando collaborated
with Dr Mackowiak on. I think you still have the link to it in the
article archive don't you Derek
Ciao,
Tony
On May 14, 1:16 am, Derek McGovern <derek.mcgov...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I've just come across a book online entitled "Whom the Gods Love Die
> Young: A Modern Medical Perspective on Illnesses that Caused the Early
> Death of Famous People," by Roy Macbeth Pitkin, M.D. It was published
> in 2008, and includes a 16-page chapter titled "Mario Lanza and
> Ischemic Heart Disease." The interesting thing is that, although Bob
> Dolfi (or at least his compendium Be My Love: A Celebration of Mario
> Lanza), has obviously been consulted for the chapter -- Mario's
> "reported height" is stated at a Dolfi-approved 5' 10", for one
> thing!! -- it's clear that the author has been heavily influenced by
> Armando's book:
>
Derek McGovern
I am just returning to the list after a long hiatus. I was thrilled to learn that the research I suggested into the death of Mario Lanza had come to fruition and the results available in this wonderful article.
Kudos to you Armando for pursuing this with Dr. Mackowiak and completing this difficult task. While it's disappointing that Dr. Silvestri refused to cooperate (WHY? What possible justification could he make?); Dr. Frühwein's son et al. make ridiculous claims about lost records; and no autopsy (probably too late now, even if his living daughter would agree), you used the evidence available to draw logical conclusions/ create plausible arguments and shed new light on this mystery.
Unfortunately, it seems that while the treatments Mario received may have hastened his death, by October 1959, his lifestyle had already produced enough damage to shorten his life. Too bad personal genome sequencing wasn't available back then.
Thank you again, Armando. I greatly appreciate your work.
Vicki
Vicki
noticed you had found it!