Lisa Marie Presley's Official Cause of Death Deferred Pending Further Tests
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Lisa Marie Presley's cause of death remains officially undetermined after the Los Angeles coroner "deferred" a ruling Tuesday.
"Presley was examined on Jan. 14 and the cause of death was deferred," Sarah Ardalani, a spokesperson with the L.A. County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner, told CNN.
"Deferred means that after an autopsy, a cause of death has not been determined and the medical examiner is requesting more investigation into the death, including additional studies," added Ardalani, per CNN. "Once the tests/studies come back, the doctor evaluates the case again and makes the cause of death determination."
Lisa Marie died at age 54 on Jan. 12, hours after being rushed to a Los Angeles hospital for a possible cardiac arrest.
She had a family history of heart problems: her father, Elvis Presley, died at age 42 on Aug. 16, 1977, from cardiac arrhythmia with ventricular fibrillation (a condition where the heart beats abnormally then stops), The Washington Post reported at the time.
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Bryan Steffy/WireImage Lisa Marie Presley
Elvis' mother Gladys Love Presley also died at the early age of 46 of heart failure in 1958. And Vernon Presley, Lisa Marie's grandfather, died of cardiac arrest at 63 in 1979.
While heart failure and cardiac arrest are not the same, both can be fatal. Heart failure indicates that the heart is not pumping as much blood as the body needs, while cardiac arrest means the heart stops beating.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Elvis and Priscilla Presley with baby Lisa Marie Presley
Having a history of heart disease in your family makes you more likely to develop a heart ailment in the future, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Many types of heart disease can be passed down in families. According to the Mayo Clinic, family history of a heart disease increases the risk of coronary artery disease especially if a parent developed it at an early age.
RELATED VIDEO: Lisa Marie Presley, Daughter of Elvis and Priscilla, Dead at 54: "The Most Strong and Loving Woman"
Earlier this week, country music legend Dolly Parton said she hoped Lisa Marie was now resting in peace with her late father.
"I thought, 'Well, Elvis is there waiting for her,' and we just all love that family and just wish them the best, but that was a sad, sad loss," Parton, 76, told Entertainment Tonight at a Nashville, Tennessee, event for her Duncan Hines cake mixes.
"Hopefully they are up there being happy together, and hopefully Priscilla will find some peace through the love that we all have for her," she added to the outlet.
In a post following the announcement of the singer-songwriter's death, the country star shared a note for Lisa Marie's mother, Priscilla Presley, via Instagram.
"Priscilla, I know how sad you must be. May God comfort you at this time," she wrote last week. "Elvis, I know how happy you must be to finally have her home and to have her back with you. Lisa Marie, may you rest in peace. We all love all of you."
GETTY (2) Dolly Parton; Lisa Marie Presley
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed to PEOPLE on Jan. 12 that paramedics responded to the 5900 block of Normandy drive in Calabasas, California, to treat a woman who was not breathing.
When they arrived, the paramedics began CPR and, upon noting the patient had "signs of life," transferred her to a local hospital for "immediate medical care."
Lisa Marie is survived by her mother, actress and businesswoman Priscilla, 77, and her three daughters: Riley Keough, 33, and twins Finley and Harper, 14. Lisa Marie was preceded in death by her son Benjamin Keough, who died by suicide at age 27 in July 2020.
Her final resting place will be at Graceland next to her son Benjamin, according to Keough's representative. She will also be honored with a public memorial service at Graceland.
