Composer Ludwig van Beethoven had wished for his ailments to be studied and shared after his death, and now researchers have partially fulfilled that request by analyzing his DNA from preserved locks of hair and sequencing his genome for the first time. The study, published in the journal Current Biology, sheds light on Beethoven’s health problems, including progressive hearing loss that began in his mid- to late-20s and eventually led to him being functionally deaf by 1818. The five hair samples also helped scientists discover insights about his family. A portrait of Beethoven by Joseph Karl Stieler was completed in 1820.
2023-03-22 13:25:06
Link from www.cnn.com
