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Did Shane Warne's 14-day liquid diet trigger heart attack? Experts link extreme detox to death

Warne had just finished a 14-day 'extreme' liquid diet to lose weight when he died of a suspected heart attack

The 52-year-old Australian cricket icon, Shane Warne, was found unresponsive in his room around 5 pm local time while on a 'boys trip' at the exclusive Samujana Villa resort in Koh Samui. Warne previously stated that he had attempted a 'traditional Chinese medicine' cleanse for weight loss. Warne would often go on '30-day fasting tea diets' on a regular basis as he fought his weight throughout his career.

Extreme diets, such as the liquid cleanse that Warne was on before his death, have been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks in persons who already have cardiac problems, according to a health expert. Warne had just finished a 14-day 'extreme' liquid diet to lose weight when he died of a suspected heart attack while on vacation in Thailand last Friday on March 4.

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Warne's close friends, Sporting News chief executive Tom Hall, who went on holiday to Thailand with the cricketing legend, said that Warne had a very Australian last supper, wolfing down Vegemite toast. This was just days after he had finished his rigorous diet.

According to Koh Samui police, the spin bowler's final day included obtaining a massage from two local masseuses at his villa and purchasing a new fitted suit. The great Australian bowler was a chain smoker who had recently undergone treatment for Covid-19 and was suffering from other health problems. There's no conclusive evidence that Warne's diet contributed to his heart attack, and the cricketer's autopsy report is yet to be filed in Thailand. Professor Garry Jennings, the Heart Foundation's chief medical advisor, said there was a risk that very low calorie diets could put the heart under greater strain in some circumstances.

"Mostly, these risks are on top of an underlying heart problem, they don't come out of the blue. I doubt they could cause a heart problem just by themselves," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Professor Jennings as saying. "Basically, if your metabolism, your handling of fluids, salt and other electrolytes gets completely out of whack, if you have a small heart attack, you're more likely for that to turn into something serious with a rhythm disorder." According to the publication, Warne bought meal-replacement tea from a Sydney company in 2019. He didn't seem to be following the program.

On Sunday, Warne's long-time manager, James Erskine, disclosed that Warne had gone to extremes to lose weight, including liquid-only diets. He'd just undergone an intense and 'ridiculous' cleanse in which he didn't have any fluids for roughly 14 days when he died, according to Erskine.

"It was a bit all or nothing. It was either white buns with butter and lasagna stuffed in the middle, or he would be having black and green juices," he explained. "He obviously smoked most of his life [but] I don't know, I think it was just a massive heart attack. That's what I think has happened."

Warne's death was not ruled suspicious by Thai authorities, who also noted that no alcohol or cigarettes were found inside the upscale property. Warne revealed he was working hard to get back in shape by posting an old photo of himself without a shirt to Instagram just five days ago. 'Operation shred has started (10 days in) & the goal by July is to get back to this shape from a few years ago ! Let's go,' he wrote as the caption.

Warne had gone to a tailor to get a suit made earlier on Friday, according to the local police commander, and had ordered two local masseuses to come to his villa. Three of Warne's friends, as well as two hotel employees and four massage parlour employees, were interviewed by the investigating team about the circumstances surrounding his death.

"He called the girl to massage. It was just massage. He didn't die because of the massage. He wasn't well," the police chief said. Warne's family reportedly told officials that he was suffering from health issues before to his trip, including asthma and chest pains. Meanwhile, Warne's long-time friend Tom Hall described the spin bowler's final supper before passing away from a heart attack.

"I have dined with Shane in many fine establishments, but rather than sample some of the local Thai fare, we tuck into a plate of Vegemite on toast. Shane chomping away: 'Geez, you can't beat Vegemite with some butter, always great wherever you are in the world.' An Australian through and through - this was to turn out to be his last meal," Hall is a championship-winning poker player and described Warne's last meal with him for Sporting News. Warne then reportedly went upstairs to talk on the phone with his children. Hall was the last person to see him alive.

On Saturday, Thai police revealed that his room was covered with bloodstains from the extended CPR, but they ruled out foul play. Two pools of blood, three blood-stained towels, and one pillow were discovered on the carpet at the foot of Warne's bed, along with blood marks on the mattress. A pool of vomit was also noted by ambulance staff beside the bed. Warne's friends in Koh Samui have met with Australian government officials to discuss bringing his body back to Melbourne.

His family is believed to be anxious to avoid having a post-mortem performed on the father-of-three in Thailand so that he can be returned to Australia as soon as possible. However, Thai authorities insisted on doing a post-mortem before releasing his remains to his family to be transported home. The body will be investigated to determine the cause of death, according to Thai police, and a report will be sent to the Australian embassy in Bangkok.

Mr. Neophitou said after meeting Thai police at Bo Phut Police Station on Saturday, "We just really want to get Shane home." Before releasing the body, Thai police lieutenant-colonel Chatchawin Nakmusik stated he needed the results of the post-mortem to finish the case. "I am waiting for the autopsy report. If there is nothing suspicious, then the case is closed," Nakmusik told The Guardian.