Decoding Beethoven's DNA: Uncovering Medical and Family Secrets.

DNA analysis of seven hair samples said to have come from Ludwig van Beethoven has debunked myths about the composer's health and genealogy while raising new questions about his life and death. The study found that Beethoven did not have lead poisoning, was not a Black man, and was not genetically related to others in his family line. The analysis also revealed that Beethoven had DNA variants that made him genetically predisposed to liver disease and contained traces of hepatitis B DNA, indicating an infection with this virus, which could have led to his death from cirrhosis of the liver.