Uncovering Beethoven's Secrets Through DNA Analysis of His Hair

A genetic study conducted on locks of Ludwig van Beethoven's hair revealed more details about the composer's death at a relatively young age in March 1827. The study found that Beethoven had a genetic predisposition for liver disease and a hepatitis B infection during the months prior to his death. The composer's heavy alcohol consumption presented "plausible explanations" for his severe liver disease. The study also revealed an extrapair paternity event in his paternal line between the conception of Hendrik van Beethoven in Kampenhout, Belgium in c.1572 and the conception of Ludwig van Beethoven seven generations later in 1770, in Bonn, Germany. The study debunked a forensic investigation completed in 2007 that suggested lead poisoning could have sped up his death.