Raquel Welch's death certificate reveals battle with Alzheimer's disease
Raquel Welch's death certificate has revealed she had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
The Hollywood actress passed away at her home in Los Angeles on 15 February after what her family described as a "brief illness". She was 82.
According to a death certificate obtained by TMZ and published on Tuesday, the One Million Years B.C. star's immediate cause of death was a cardiac arrest.
The document also revealed one of the underlying causes of her death was Alzheimer's disease, noting that she had suffered from the progressive condition, the most common form of dementia, for "years".
Welch had not publicly disclosed that she had been diagnosed with the disease, which is characterised by progressive memory loss.
The certificate also revealed that the Hollywood icon was cremated in late February.
Born Jo Raquel Tejada in Chicago, Illinois, Welch made her first featured appearance in 1965's A Swingin' Summer, and a short time later, starred in One Million Years B.C. With her costume comprised of just a deerskin bikini, the 1966 film catapulted her to international fame and cemented her status as a pin-up girl and sex symbol.
Welch went on to appear in 1967's Bedazzled, 1970's Myra Breckinridge, and 1971's Hannie Caulder, among other movies.
She was married four times and is survived by two children; son Damon and daughter Tahnee.
