B for Beethoven

Letters, journals, and other documents of that era indicate that, in his final decade of his life, Beethoven’s health and hearing progressively declined, yet he produced many works that were expansive and departing from the more conservative structure of his earlier works. In a fortuitous recent development in the study of the human genome, hair has been identified as a potential resource for evidence of HBV DNA in persons with acute or chronic HBV infection. The 5 locks also had single copies of 2 variants of the HFE gene that most often cause hereditary hemochromatosis, which can also contribute to liver damage. [...]a potential explanation for Beethoven’s recurrent bouts of jaundice and the severe liver disease observed at autopsy, often credited as his principal cause of death, may be the contribution of any or all of the triad of excess alcohol consumption, genetic predisposition for liver disease, and HBV infection. August 21, 2023 The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions.