Expert debunks STD theory over Lenin's death
Source: Agencies |
May 5, 2012, Saturday
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AN American doctor says stress, family medical history or possibly even poison led to the death of Vladimir Lenin, debunking a popular theory that a sexually-transmitted disease debilitated the former Soviet Union leader.
UCLA neurologist Dr Harry Vinters and Russian historian Lev Lurie reviewed Lenin's records for an annual University of Maryland School of Medicine conference on famous people's deaths.
The conference, that opens yesterday, is held yearly at the school, where researchers in the past have reexamined the diagnoses of figures including King Tut, Christopher Columbus, Simon Bolivar and Abraham Lincoln.
The 53-year-old Soviet leader suffered several strokes before dying in 1924 and what caused them isn't clear.
An autopsy found blood vessels in his brain were extremely hardened, results that have been difficult to understand, said Dr Philip Mackowiak, who organizes the annual event.
"Number one, he's so young and number two, he has none of the important risk factors," Mackowiak said.
Lenin didn't smoke - he never let smokers near him. He also didn't have diabetes, wasn't overweight and the autopsy didn't find any evidence of high blood pressure, Mackowiak said. There was "considerable suspicion" among Russians at the time of Lenin's death that syphilis was to blame, he added.
However, family history appears to have worked more against Lenin, Vinters said.
Lenin was treated for syphilis using the primitive medications available at the time, and while the sexually transmitted disease can cause strokes, there is no evidence from his symptoms or the autopsy that was the case with Lenin, Vinters said.
The Soviet leader's father also died at 54 and both may have been predisposed to hardening of the arteries. Stress also is a risk factor for strokes, and there's no question the communist revolutionary was under plenty of that, the neurologist said.
"People were always trying to assassinate him, for example," Vinters said.
Lurie, a St Petersburg-based expert in Russian history and politics, said that while Lenin had several strokes, he believes Josef Stalin may have poisoned him, a theory that Vinters said is a possibility.
Lenin's health had been growing worse over time. In 1921, he forgot the words of a major speech and he had to learn to speak again and write with his left hand after one stroke. A major stroke later left him paralyzed on one side and unable to speak.
However, Lurie said Lenin had recovered enough in early 1924 that he celebrated the new year and went hunting. Lenin, who supported Stalin's rise to power, may have realized he made a mistake and began aligning himself with Leon Trotsky, which caused Stalin to poison Lenin, the historian said.
Poisoning, in fact, eventually became one of Stalin's favorite methods of dispose of enemies, Lurie said.
UCLA neurologist Dr Harry Vinters and Russian historian Lev Lurie reviewed Lenin's records for an annual University of Maryland School of Medicine conference on famous people's deaths.
The conference, that opens yesterday, is held yearly at the school, where researchers in the past have reexamined the diagnoses of figures including King Tut, Christopher Columbus, Simon Bolivar and Abraham Lincoln.
The 53-year-old Soviet leader suffered several strokes before dying in 1924 and what caused them isn't clear.
An autopsy found blood vessels in his brain were extremely hardened, results that have been difficult to understand, said Dr Philip Mackowiak, who organizes the annual event.
"Number one, he's so young and number two, he has none of the important risk factors," Mackowiak said.
Lenin didn't smoke - he never let smokers near him. He also didn't have diabetes, wasn't overweight and the autopsy didn't find any evidence of high blood pressure, Mackowiak said. There was "considerable suspicion" among Russians at the time of Lenin's death that syphilis was to blame, he added.
However, family history appears to have worked more against Lenin, Vinters said.
Lenin was treated for syphilis using the primitive medications available at the time, and while the sexually transmitted disease can cause strokes, there is no evidence from his symptoms or the autopsy that was the case with Lenin, Vinters said.
The Soviet leader's father also died at 54 and both may have been predisposed to hardening of the arteries. Stress also is a risk factor for strokes, and there's no question the communist revolutionary was under plenty of that, the neurologist said.
"People were always trying to assassinate him, for example," Vinters said.
Lurie, a St Petersburg-based expert in Russian history and politics, said that while Lenin had several strokes, he believes Josef Stalin may have poisoned him, a theory that Vinters said is a possibility.
Lenin's health had been growing worse over time. In 1921, he forgot the words of a major speech and he had to learn to speak again and write with his left hand after one stroke. A major stroke later left him paralyzed on one side and unable to speak.
However, Lurie said Lenin had recovered enough in early 1924 that he celebrated the new year and went hunting. Lenin, who supported Stalin's rise to power, may have realized he made a mistake and began aligning himself with Leon Trotsky, which caused Stalin to poison Lenin, the historian said.
Poisoning, in fact, eventually became one of Stalin's favorite methods of dispose of enemies, Lurie said.
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