娱乐英语新闻:U.S. teen idol in 1980s Corey Haim died of natural causes: coroner

LOS ANGELES, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The late 1980s teen idol Corey Haim was killed by a bad heart and pneumonia just as his mother has maintained all along, according to Los Angeles county coroner's final report released Tuesday.

According to the coroner's office, Haim died on March 10 of diffuse alveolar damage and community acquired pneumonia, along with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with coronary arteriosclerosis. This is typically a genetic condition that results in thickening of the lower heart muscle.

While prescription medications were found at the scene - and toxicology results showed evidence of eight drugs, including marijuana and cold medicine, in his system - the drugs did not play a role in Haim's demise, according to coroner spokesman Craig Harvey.

Haim, 38, the "Lost Boy" actor passed away at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank after he was found unconscious at the apartment he shared with his mother. Haim was ill with flulike symptoms before his death. Police said he was taking over-the-counter and prescription medications.

"In a period of 32 days, Corey Haim obtained at least 553 doses of potentially dangerous prescription drugs," Californian Attorney General Jerry Brown said early last month when commenting on the actor's death. "He died five days later."

He was said to have had visited many doctors and pharmacies to obtain more than 550 doses of dangerous drugs including narcotics. In the time span between Feb. 2 and March 5, or the month leading to his sudden death, Haim had obtained more than 195 tablets of Valium, 194 tablets of Soma, 149 tablets of Vicodin and 15 tablets of Xanax.

The Canadian actor had been struggling with drugs for years. There have been reports he admitted in the past to taking as many as 85 Valium pills a day. He had weaned himself from serious pill-popping and was working with a new addiction specialist, his manager Mark Heaslip said.

Haim's death had been linked to an "illegal and massive prescription drug ring," the Attorney General's office said last month. The drug ring operates by ordering prescription pads from authorized vendors using stolen doctor identities. The pads are then either sold on the street to addicts or to people who are paid to fill the prescription and sell the drugs.

According to the office, the doctor whose name is on the form is usually unaware that his or her name has been used.