American actor Jansen Panettiere's cause of death has been revealed one week after his sudden passing.
In a statement obtained by US network ABC, the actor's family revealed Jansen's death was due to an enlarged heart.
The younger brother of US actor Hayden Panettiere died on February 19 in New York City, aged 28.
"Though it offers little solace, the Medical Examiner reported Jansen's sudden passing was due to cardiomegaly (enlarged heart), coupled with aortic valve complications," the family told the news outlet.
The statement, written by his father Skip Panettiere, mother Lesley Vogel, and sister Hayden, 33, touched on Jansen's talent and kind nature, which the family said they would miss.
"Jansen's heart could be seen in his eyes, and his charm in his brilliant, engaging smile; his soul in his masterful and revealing paintings, and the joy of life in his dry wit," they said.
What is an enlarged heart?
An enlarged heart isn't a condition in itself, but a symptom of an underlying problem that causes the heart to pump harder than usual, according to Victoria's Department of Health.
Another term for an enlarged heart is cardiomegaly.
It can be caused by damage to the heart muscle or any condition that makes the heart pump harder than usual, including pregnancy.
So how does it enlarge?
It can enlarge in two ways: dilation and hypertrophy, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
Dilatation: The heart walls become thin, stretch out (dilate) and weaken — this is what enlarges the heart. Dilated cardiomyopathy can lead to heart failure, where the heart loses its ability to pump properly.
Hypertrophy: The heart walls thicken, causing the heart to become less efficient. This can happen in athletes and pregnant women, whose hearts undergo a high workload for long periods of time.
What are the symptoms?
In some cases, an enlarged heart is asymptomatic, meaning there are no symptoms.
However, you may experience symptoms similar to heart failure because cardiomegaly prevents your heart from working properly. These include:
- Breathing problems
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
- Heart palpitations
- Fluid retention
What are the causes?
As mentioned above, cardiomegaly can be caused by damage to the heart muscle or any condition that makes the heart pump harder than usual.
Some conditions associated with an enlarged heart include:
- Heart condition present at birth
- Damage from a heart attack
- High blood pressure
- Low red blood cell count
- Thyroid disorders
- Viral infection
Jansen's career began with children's TV
Born September 25, 1994 in Palisades, New York, Jansen Panettiere got his start appearing in popular Disney and Nickelodeon shows in the early 2000s.
His TV show guest roles included Third Watch, Everybody Hates Chris, Major Crimes, and The Walking Dead.
In 2004, he co-starred with his sister in the 2004 Disney Channel film Tiger Cruise.
The most recent professional credit on the actor's IMDb page is the romantic film Love and Love Not, which was released in 2022.
On January 25, he shared an image of his older sister cutting his hair.
"Not the first haircut she's tried to give me," he wrote in the caption.
Also an aspiring artist, he last posted to Instagram an image of some of his graffiti artwork.
According to a biography on his website, after spending time in Los Angeles as an adult, he had "terrible anxiety and depression". This drove him to start painting his problems, one by one.
Jansen is survived by his parents and his sister.
