Houston's cause of death confirmed

Whitney Houston died of accidental drowning due to the effects of heart disease and cocaine use.

The 48-year-old singer was found dead in the bathtub of her Beverly Hills hotel room in February and now the Los Angeles County Coroner has released her official cause of death.

Cocaine was found in her system, as were traces of marijuana, Xanax, Flexeril and Benadryl, although they did not contribute to her death.

A source connected to the investigation told the gossip website TMZ, it is "very possible" Whitney had a heart attack that caused her to lose consciousness and drown. The heart attack may have been triggered by hardening of the arteries as a result of cocaine use.



The coroner also noted that neither foul play nor trauma factored into her demise.

A final report is expected to be ready for release within two weeks.

Whitney was found dead in the bathtub and several pills were found on the scene including Xanax, Ibuprofen, and Midol. However, investigators found no evidence of cocaine in the hotel room.

Whitney - who had an 18-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina, with ex-husband Bobby Brown - had a long-running history with alcohol and drug abuse and friends have said they were not shocked she died at an early age.

Her cousin Dionne Warwick said she believed Whitney died of a heart attack because her body gave up on her.

She said: "You know, in all honesty, I think she had a heart attack, that's what I think happened to her."

"I don't know if it's that or not (drugs). I think her heart just gave out." - Bang Showbiz
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SOURCE : IOL