Ralphie May, the comedian and veteran of “Last Comic Standing” who died at age 45 in October, died of hypertensive cardiovascular disease, the Clark County, Nevada, coroner’s office told TheWrap on Wednesday.
The disease is caused by high blood pressure, according to Healthline, which notes that overweight individuals are at risk for developing high blood pressure.
May’s manner of death was deemed natural, according to Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg, who added, “We extend our sincere condolences to Mr. May’s family and friends.”
May was in the midst of a nationwide stand-up tour, with shows scheduled in Harrah’s in Las Vegas, where he has a residency, when he died. Other upcoming tour stops included Huntsville, Alabama; Mansfield, Ohio; and Nashville, Tennessee next week.
Following his death, May’s publicist said that the comedian “had been battling pneumonia and had cancelled a handful of dates over the last month in an effort to recover. Earlier this morning at a private residence in Las Vegas his body was discovered.”