Frederic Chopin died at 39. A study of the famed composer’s pickled heart could reveal why
Polish scientists study Chopin’s heart, which has been preserved for the last 168 years inside a crystal jar in what appears to be cognac
The heart of Frederic Chopin, among the world’s most cherished musical virtuosos, may finally have given up the cause of his untimely death.
The prolific 19th-century Polish-French pianist and composer died at the age of 39, of what had long been believed to be tuberculosis (TB).
However, in 2008, Polish medical experts raised the possibility that Chopin – whose health had always been very frail – had actually suffered from cystic fibrosis (CF).
The genetic respiratory illness clogs the lungs with sticky, thick mucus and sufferers on average generally do not survive past their late 30s.
Now, Polish scientists, who were the first to use modern technology to study Chopin’s heart – preserved for the last 168 years inside a crystal jar in what appears to be cognac – believe they are a step closer to an accurate diagnosis.
“We can say that it is highly possible that it was tuberculosis,” lead researcher Professor Michal Witt, a top specialist in molecular and clinical genetics, said.