Rich Piana, the American bodybuilder, died on August 25, 2017, at the age of 46 after collapsing at his home while having his hair cut. He was placed in a medically induced coma for two weeks before passing away
. His collapse was due to a cardiac arrest, during which his heart stopped before he hit the ground. Paramedics were able to restore his heartbeat, but he suffered brain damage from lack of oxygen for over 30 minutes
. An autopsy revealed that Piana had significant heart disease, including an enlarged heart and liver—both organs weighed over twice the average for an adult male—and mild atherosclerotic disease (hardening of the arteries). These conditions likely contributed to his death
. Although 20 bottles of testosterone and evidence of steroid use were found in his home, the autopsy was inconclusive on the exact cause and manner of death due to the hospital discarding toxicology specimens needed for further analysis. Therefore, drug involvement could neither be confirmed nor ruled out
. In the days leading up to his collapse, Piana exhibited warning signs such as shortness of breath and nausea, which his girlfriend later identified as possible indicators of impending cardiac arrest
. In summary, Rich Piana died from complications related to significant heart disease and cardiac arrest, with steroid use possibly playing a role, but the precise cause remains officially undetermined due to lack of toxicology data
