Michelle Trachtenberg Died Of Complications From This Common Condition
Fans were shocked when, on February 26, news broke that actor Michelle Trachtenberg, 39, had been found dead in her New York City apartment. At the time, the reason for the Gossip Girl alum's death wasn't known. Now, her official cause of death has been revealed as complications of diabetes mellitus, according to People.
Michelle's family objected to an autopsy for religious reasons, per ABC News, and as a result, the medical examiner limited the investigation to an external exam and lab testing.
Sources previously told People that Michelle had a liver transplant months before her death and may have had complications. Another source told the magazine that Michelle had been 'really, really down emotionally' and had told her friends that she was 'struggling' in the year before her death.
But Michelle's official cause of death is now raising more questions. Here's what you need to know.
Meet the expert: Mir Ali, MD, general surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA
Michelle died of complications of diabetes mellitus, better known as diabetes, according to People. Her cause of death has been ruled as natural, a spokesperson for the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner said.
Nearly 30 million Americans have diabetes, and it is the eighth largest cause of death in the U.S., leading to 101,209 deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
However, it's not common to die from diabetes complications, says Mir Ali, MD, general surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California.
There are a few ways someone can die from diabetes complications, Ali (who did not treat Michelle) says. 'You can die from having your blood sugar be too low,' he says. 'You can become unconscious and, if it's not treated promptly, you can die from that.'
But it's also possible to die from having blood sugar that's too high, he says. This can lead to complications like diabetic ketoacidosis, which can cause someone to slip into a coma and die, per the CDC. (This is more common in people with type 1 diabetes.)
But while it's possible to die from complications of diabetes, Ali says that the average patient shouldn't stress about this, especially if their blood sugar is well managed. 'Sudden death, strictly from diabetes, is very uncommon,' he says.
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