Garret Anderson
Battling Serious Medical Conditions Before Death
Published
Late Angels great Garret Anderson was dealing with multiple medical conditions before he died earlier this month, according to the local coroner.
While Anderson passed away from acute necrotizing pancreatitis, the coroner says the Angels’ all-time hits leader was also dealing with liver and heart issues.
During the autopsy, it was discovered that the longtime big leaguer had a “massive fatty liver” and “hypertensive-type cardiovascular disease.”
Anderson had “severe hepatic steatosis,” the most advanced stage of fat buildup in the liver.
A normal liver of an adult male weighs around 3-4 lbs., but GA’s weighed nearly 9.2 lbs. during the autopsy. In plain terms, Garret had an extreme case of the disease.
Anderson was also discovered to have Cardiomegaly, an enlarged heart. A typical heart weighs between 250 and 350 grams, while Garret’s weighed 450 grams during the autopsy.
They also found thickening in his left ventricle, indicating long-standing high blood pressure.
Despite the serious issues, the pancreatitis, not the liver and heart issues, was the primary cause of death.
Anderson was pronounced deceased on April 16 at 2:21 PM PT at Hoag Memorial Hospital in Newport Beach, just miles from Angel Stadium, where he starred for a decade and a half.