A new report sheds light on the causes of death of Bruce Lee. The actor and martial arts icon died suddenly on July 20, 1973 in Hong Kong. At that time, authorities concluded that his death was due to cerebral edema, or swelling of the brain.
If this diagnosis was the subject of much speculation 50 years ago, new research provides an original explanation: Bruce Lee would have died as a result of an “inability of his kidneys to eliminate excess water.”
“kidney dysfunction”
According to this report, carried out by a group of nephrologists in Spain, the actor presented “multiple risk factors for hyponatremia”, an abnormally low concentration of sodium in the blood.
In particular, according to the researchers, Bruce Lee’s marijuana use (which increases thirst) but also his taking of prescription drugs, his alcohol use and his history of kidney damage, which probably interfere with the functioning of his organs, are in question.
“We hypothesize that Bruce Lee died of a specific form of renal dysfunction: the inability to remove enough water to maintain fluid homeostasis…”, can be read in this report.
“This can lead to hyponatremia, cerebral edema, and death in a matter of hours if excessive water intake is not compensated by the discharge of water in the urine,” concludes the study, published in the December 2022 issue of the specialized journal . Kidney Clinical Journal.
According to the report, although Bruce Lee did not consume much water just before his death, his kidneys were unable to handle even normal amounts of fluid. In addition, he would have followed an almost liquid diet, composed mainly of fruit juices.
Source: BFM TV
