Rich Piana’s autopsy report failed to establish the cause of death due to lack of toxicology reports and numerous potential contributing factors.
The 46-year-old’s death in August sparked rumors of drug use, including anabolic steroids and insulin.
The autopsy, ordered by the Florida District Six Medical Examiner’s Office, cited Piana’s reported heart disease and drug use as reasons a cause of death could not be determined, as any of those factors could have played a role.
Also, the hospital did not provide samples for toxicology.
| Do | Details |
|---|---|
| Date of death | August 2017 |
| Cause of death | Probably linked to heart problems |
| Cardiac problem | Cardiac enlargement, significant heart disease, mild coronary atherosclerosis |
| heart size | Twice the size of an average man’s heart |
| heart weight | About 670 grams |
| Physical attributes | Weighed over 290 pounds, had 23.5 inch arms |
Mục lục
Rich Piana’s autopsy report rejected
The medical examiner’s office said toxicology analysis could not be performed because the admission samples were discarded long before Piana’s death.
According to the director of investigations, William Pellan, hospitals generally throw away the samples after three days, even though they are vital in cases like Piana’s.
The police and medical examiner’s office requested that the specimens be preserved, but it was too late. The lack of admission specimens available, Pellan said, made it impossible to rule out drug use.
The involvement of drugs is not excluded
Piana’s death came after he collapsed while having his hair cut.
He was rushed to hospital and placed in an induced coma, where he spent two weeks before passing away.
Rich Piana’s autopsy report did not link his death to drug use, although it also did not rule out drug involvement.
Guillaume Pellan said, “Due to the lack of available admission samples, drug involvement could not be ruled out.”
But he insisted the results provided no indication the drugs were involved in Piana’s death. The autopsy instead revealed an enlarged heart.
An expanded heart
In addition to an enlarged heart, or cardiomegaly, Piana’s autopsy report revealed the presence of “coronary atherosclerosis,” or the hardening of the arteries.
These ‘significant’ signs of heart disease suggest that heart disease may have played a role in Piana’s death, but toxicological analysis is essential to rule out drug-induced effects.
Piana: the open steroid user
Piana was an open anabolic steroid user. Although he was not shy about discussing his steroid use, he denied using certain types of steroids, including insulin.
He admitted to doctors that he often took 20-30 pills throughout the day. According to reports, 20 bottles of steroids were found in Piana’s house by police after he died.
Piana’s influence on the bodybuilding world
Piana, who had over a million followers on Instagram, was a hugely influential figure in bodybuilding.
It has been widely praised for its transparency on steroid use and legitimacy of bodybuilding practices.
He had a huge following online, where he chronicled his life as a bodybuilder with almost 28 million views on YouTube.
Conclusion
An autopsy report obtained by Men’s Health for bodybuilder Rich Piana deemed the cause of death “unknown” due to the lack of a toxicology report and numerous potential contributing factors.
While Piana was open about using anabolic steroids, the autopsy report does not link her drug use to her death.
However, he points to the presence of heart disease and stresses the need for a toxicological analysis to determine the cause of his death.
Piana’s death is a reminder of the risks of steroid use and once again underscored the importance of transparency and awareness in bodybuilding practices.
