The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York listed Ocasek’s cause of death as hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with a contributing factor of emphysema. Ocasek supplied the lead vocals and wrote most of the songs for the Cars, who made their self-titled debut in 1978. The band’s hits included “My Best Friend’s Girl,” “Shake It Up,” and “You Might Think.” After the group parted ways in 1988, Ocasek went on to release several solo records and produce albums for many popular music acts including Bad Brains, Weezer, and No Doubt. In 2011, surviving members of the Cars reunited and released a final album, Move Like This.
Coronary Heart Disease Is a Cause of Death for 1 in 7 Americans
Nearly 60 percent of men ages 75 to 84 have cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, listed as a contributor to Ocasek’s death, is also known as coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. According to the Heart Foundation, coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease and is responsible for 1 in 7 deaths in the United States. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is essentially plaque buildup in the arteries, says Luke J. Laffin, MD, a cardiologist at the Robert and Suzanne Tomsich Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Cleveland Clinic Campus in Ohio. The plaque is composed of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. “Not only can this buildup be found in the coronary arteries, which supply the heart muscles with oxygenated blood, but it can also be in the brain and in the peripheries, such as the legs,” says Dr. Laffin. Hypertensive cardiovascular disease is caused by chronic blood pressure elevation over a prolonged period of time, says Laffin. When someone has high blood pressure, the arteries may have an increased resistance against blood flow, which makes the heart have to work harder to circulate the blood, according to the AHA. “Elevated blood pressures can lead to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, but they can also lead to other types of cardiovascular disease like the thickening of the heart, called left ventricular hypertrophy,” says Laffin. The thickened wall may cause the left chamber of the heart to weaken and stiffen, which can prevent necessary blood flow, according to the AHA. Hypertensive cardiovascular disease can also lead to heart failure, in which the heart isn’t able to supply enough blood to the other vital organs, says Laffin. Pulmonary emphysema was also named as a contributor to Ocasek’s death. “This can manifest in a variety of fashions, but the major signs and symptoms are shortness of breath and being more easily fatigued,” says Laffin. Emphysema is a kind of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that involves gradual damage of lung tissue. Cigarette smoking is the major cause of emphysema, according to the American Lung Association. Emphysema has causes and risk factors that overlap with cardiovascular disease, says Laffin, and include obesity and obstructive sleep apnea. “Separately, we also know that people with COPD or emphysema can put increased stress on the chambers of the heart, particularly the right side of the heart,” says Laffin. “That can lead to conditions like pulmonary hypertension,” he says. Although many heart attacks don’t lead to death, about 610,000 people die of heart disease in the United States, accounting for one in every four deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “In people who die very suddenly, oftentimes those individuals have essentially had a very large heart attack,” says Laffin. “That leads to an acute rhythm change of their heart, which is a rhythm not compatible with life,” he adds. On Monday, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which the Cars were inducted into in 2018, posted a tribute to Ocasek. Ocasek leaves behind six sons, two from each of his three wives. At the time of his death, Ocasek and his third wife, the model and writer Paulina Porizkova, were separated. Porizkova said that Ocasek died unexpectedly after recovering from an unspecified surgery. She posted a short statement on her family’s behalf on Instagram after Ocasek’s death was made public: “Ric was at home recuperating very well after surgery. Our two sons, Jonathan and Oliver, and I were making sure he was comfortable, ordering food and watching TV together. I found him still asleep when bringing him his Sunday morning coffee. I touched his cheek to rouse him. It was then I realized he had peacefully passed on. We appreciate the great outpouring of love. We, his family and friends, are completely and utterly devastated by his untimely and unexpected death and would appreciate the privacy to mourn in private.”
