Uncovering Beethoven's Health and Family Secrets through DNA Analysis.

Researchers have used DNA from locks of Beethoven's hair to shed light on his poor health. The DNA analysis revealed that Beethoven had two copies of a particular variant of the PNPLA3 gene, which is linked to liver cirrhosis, and single copies of two variants of a gene that causes haemochromatosis, a condition that damages the liver. The analyses also revealed that Beethoven was infected with the hepatitis B virus in the final months of his life. The study also uncovered a family secret, suggesting that at some point in the seven generations between Aert and Ludwig, someone’s father for social and legal purposes was not their biological father.