Raquel Welch died of cardiac arrest, according to her death certificate.
The death certificate, which was obtained by TMZ, also noted the actress suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.
Steve Sauer, her longtime manager, previously stated Welch, who was 82 at the time, passed away on February 15 after a “brief illness.”
Welch, born Jo Raquel Tejada, grew up in San Diego, California. As a teen she appeared in beauty pageants and later became fascinated with acting.
She eventually moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.
Her introduction to the world came in the mid-1960s when she made her film debut in Fantastic Voyage and later that year in One Million Years B.C. She was an instant hit.
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Her performance led to a 50-year acting career that resulted in dozens of films, countless television appearances, a Golden Globe award, and a title that wasn’t always embraced: a Hollywood sex symbol.
According to the American Heart Association, 436,000 Americans die from cardiac arrest each year, and globally it causes more deaths than “colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, influenza, pneumonia, auto accidents, HIV, firearms, and house fires combined.”
More than 350,000 instances of cardiac arrest occur outside of a hospital setting each year. It is extremely important anyone suffering cardiac arrest receive CPR immediately.
CPR can double or triple a patient’s chances of survival.
So sad to hear Raquel Welch dealt with Alzheimer’s disease during her final days. Her death is also a good reminder about how important it is to know CPR.
