Due to the lack of toxicology findings and the multiple potential contributing variables, the Rich Piana Autopsy report was unable to determine the exact cause of death.
The 46-year-old’s death in August generated speculation about drug use, including the use of insulin and anabolic steroids.
Heart disease and Piana’s alleged drug usage were among the causes of death that could not be determined after the autopsy, which was mandated by the Florida District Six Medical Examiner’s Office. Any one of these conditions could have contributed to Piana’s demise.
Rich Piana Autopsy report Discarded
The admission specimens were thrown away well before Piana’s death, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office, thus a toxicological analysis could not be done.
Hospitals generally throw away specimens after three days, despite the fact that they are crucial in situations like Piana’s, according to the Director of Investigations, William Pellan.
It was already too late when the Medical Examiner’s Office and the police asked that the samples be retained. Pellan said that it was impossible to rule out drug use because there were no available admission specimens.
Drug Involvement is not ruled out
Piana died after collapsing during a haircut, so drug involvement is not completely ruled out.
He was taken urgently to the hospital and put into a coma, which he remained in for two weeks before dying.
The Rich Piana autopsy report did not establish a link between drug usage and his death, but it also did not exclude drug use as a factor.
William Pellan stated that “drug involvement could not be ruled out due to the lack of available admission specimens.”
But he emphasised that there is no evidence from the results to suggest that drugs played a role in Piana’s passing. The autopsy seemed to emphasise the heart’s enlargement.
An Enlarged Heart
Piana’s autopsy report noted the existence of “coronary atherosclerosis,” or the hardening of the arteries, in addition to an enlarged heart, or cardiomegaly.
These “significant” heart disease symptoms raise the possibility that heart disease contributed to Piana’s demise, but a toxicology investigation is necessary to rule out drug-related side effects.
Piana: The Open Steroid User
Piana admitted to using anabolic steroids publicly. Despite being open about his steroid use, he denied taking some types of steroids, such as insulin.
He acknowledged to the medical professionals that he frequently took 20 to 30 pills every day. According to some sources, after Piana passed suddenly, authorities discovered 20 bottles of steroids in his home.
Piana: The Open Steroid User
Influence of Piana on the Bodybuilding Community Piana was a major influence in the bodybuilding community and had over a million Instagram followers.
He received a lot of accolades for being open about using steroids and endorsing bodybuilding techniques.
He had a huge internet following and used YouTube to document his life as a bodybuilder, garnering nearly 28 million views.
Conclusion
Rich Piana, a bodybuilder, died, and according to an autopsy report obtained by Men’s Health, the cause of death was “unknown” because there was no toxicology testing and there were several probable contributing causes.
Piana openly admitted using anabolic steroids, but the postmortem report makes no connection between his drug use and his demise.
Toxicology testing is necessary to ascertain the reason of his demise, though it highlights the fact that he had heart problems.
Piana’s passing serves as a warning of the dangers of steroid use and emphasises once more how crucial it is to be transparent and knowledgeable about bodybuilding practises.
