Famous individuals with diseases, date of death between 2000-2010

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Bacterial infections and Mycoses

• Pneumonia: Ronald Reagan (1911-2004; official CoD; aged 93) 
• Pyelonephritis: George Best (1946-2005; aged 59)

 

Diseases of mixed or unclear aetiology

• Alzheimer disease: Ronald Reagan (1911-2004; likely contributed to death) 
  
• Cirrhosis: George Best (received a liver transplant in 2002; continued to drink alcohol)
  
• Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Marlon Brando (fatal in 2004), James Doohan (fatal in 2005)

 

Immune system diseases

• Vitiligo: Michael Jackson (died in 2009)

 

Poisoning

• Adverse effects from medications: George Best (2005; immunosuppressants for liver transplant)
  
• Drug overdose: 
  
• Layne Staley (cocaine, heroin; fatal; 2002)
• Michael Jackson (medications prescribed for insomnia; propofol, lorazepam, and midazolam; fatal; physician convicted of manslaughter; 2009)
  

 

Psychiatric and neuropsychiatric diseases

• Substance-related disorder: 
• Layne Staley (cocaine, heroin)

 

Wounds, injuries and sequelae thereof

• Chronic traumatic encephalopathy:  
• Mike Webster (1952-2002; aged 50)
  
• Terry Long (1959-2005; aged 45) 
• Chris Benoit (1967-2007; aged 40)
• Chris Henry (1983-2009; aged 26)
  

• Spinal cord injury: Christopher Reeve (1952-2004; horseback riding injury in 1995; C1/C2 fracture; permanent quadriplegia)

 

"Don't die like me"

As he lies in hospital, his life hanging in the balance, broken Best has one last message.. "Don't die like me."

The News of the World reported the last message from George Best to the world: a warning about the consequences of alcohol abuse. They published a photo of him lying in the intensive care unit at Cromwell Hospital in London, November 20, 2005, seven weeks after his admission with pyelonephritis. He died on November 25, 2005 at age 59.