Nutrition guru Nathan Pritikin met his death by suicide in the face of two different kinds of leukemia last February with arteries like those of a child and a heart like that of a young man, according to results of his autopsy being published today for the first time.
But while the extraordinary condition of the vessels supplying blood to the 69-year-old Pritikin's heart is being seized on by advocates of the dietary regimen Pritikin pioneered as proof that his eating habits can cause reversal of hardening of the arteries, the question is likely to remain unresolved and controversial for many more years.
Effects of Leukemia?
Controversy may also arise over whether the double-barrelled leukemia from which Pritikin suffered itself might have been at least partially responsible for the absence of fatty deposits in Pritikin's cardiovascular system. Some cancer specialists, however, say such an effect seems unlikely based on current evidence.
The pathologist who performed the autopsy conceded such questions may arise, though he said he personally does not believe either the cancer or the therapy influenced Pritikin's coronary health. And a cancer specialist who treated Pritikin for two years said he is convinced the nutritionist's cardiac health "has nothing to do" with the cancer or its treatment.
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