Actor Chris Penn's sudden death was caused due to an enlarged heart condition combined with an intake of multiple medicines, the Los Angeles County coroner's office has ruled Monday.
Toxicology tests and an autopsy have proved that Penn was a victim of 'nonspecific cardiomyopathy', a disease of the heart muscle which is more often than not fatal.
Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey said as the actor's heart was enlarged and weak it “could have given out at any time.” However, mix of medications was also a “significant condition” contributing to his death. Besides, Penn, who was 6 feet 2, was also obese weighing around 310 pounds at the time of his death.
Among the medications, Phenergan, a common cough syrup containing antihistamine and codeine, also played a role in his body's capitulation. However, it was “not a direct cause”, it was reported.
Harvey said: “There is absolutely no indication that this is anything but an accident.”
A housekeeper discovered Penn's body in his home on January 24 in Santa Monica, Los Angeles.
Chris Penn, apart from being a brother of star Sean Penn, was an acclaimed actor in his own right starring in films like Reservoir Dogs, Rush Hour among others.
Dr. Gerald Pohost, chief of cardiovascular medicine at USC's Keck School of Medicine said that Cardiomyopathy is a progressive condition that weakens and scars the heart muscle.
He said: “It may take months, years or decades, but it usually leads to the patient's demise.”
He added that though Phenergan directly doesn't cause hear failure, its tranquilizing properties could lead to increased breathing problems and heart strain in overweight patients.
Harvey said: “We know he had several prescriptions, including promethazine with codeine, which featured predominantly in his death.” But he added: “We don't know how much he ingested or when. There are a lot of 'what ifs' to be factored in.”
