<p>Lucille Ball’s cause of death was a ruptured overt aorta, the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the body. The beloved I Love Lucy actress was 77 at the time, and her mysterious passing stunned fans and loved ones who believed she lived a healthy and happy life.</p><br /><p>Now, 30 years after her death, REELZ’s new docuseries, Autopsy: Lucille Ball, is revealing new details about her secret addictions and mysterious health decline.</p><br /><p>“So far, I’ve discovered something that had a major impact on her heart: alcohol,” says Dr. Michael Hunter on the show.</p><br /><p>“Lucy liked her vices,” says Lee Tannen, Ball’s close friend. “We would make her a slushy, which sounded like it didn’t have booze, but it did have triple sec and tequila It was really a frozen margarita.”</p><br /><br /> </a>Photo Credit:Herbert Dorfman/Corbis/Getty Images<br /> <br /> <br /><p>Alcohol can increase blood pressure, which can, in turn, cause heart problems.</p><br /><p>“It’s clear from her death certificate that Lucille did have high blood pressure,” says Hunter. “Could years of abuse have damaged her heart?”</p><br /><p>Thinking of Ball’s tendency to remain in control, psychologist Dr. Linda Papadopoulos says she does not believe booze was a problem for the actress.</p><br /><p>“I think the appeal of alcohol wouldn’t have been there. This isn’t something appealing because it’s about losing control, it’s about letting go. I think it speaks to her need to ensure that she’s in the driver’s seat when it comes, not just to her career, but to her life as well,” says Papadopoulos.</p><br /><p>“If alcohol was not a major part of Lucille’s life, there must’ve been another reason for the hypertension, or high blood pressure mentioned in her death certificate. I can see something else from personal reports that seems bizarre: was Lucille also inhaling a substance often associated with sex?” says Hunter.</p><br /><p>Autopsy: Lucille Ball airs Sunday, March 10 at 8 ET / PT on REELZ.</p><br /><b><i>We pay for juicy info! Do you have a story for RadarOnline.com? Email us at tips@radaronline.com, or call us at (866) ON-RADAR (667-2327) any time, day or night.</i></b></p><br /><p>The post Tequila Slushies & Mysterious Drugs: What Really Killed Lucille Ball?</a> appeared first on RadarOnline</a>.</p><br />
