Gene Hackman’s primary cause of death was due to hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease — but what does the condition entail? Hypertensive Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease is a combination of hypertensive heart disease and arteriosclerosis.

Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico home, likely unaware that she was dead because he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease,