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Report: Cal DL Ted Agu died of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Report: Cal DL Ted Agu died of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

After more than two and a half months of speculation, the cause of death for Cal defensive lineman Ted Agu has finally been released.

Agu, 21, died of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or excessive thickening of the heart muscle, the Alameda County coroner's office told the San Francisco Chronicle. It’s a disease that took the life of young athletes such as Hank Gathers and Reggie Lewis.

On Feb. 7, Cal medical personnel noticed Agu laboring outside of the stadium following an early morning supervised run. He was placed on a training cart and driven back into the stadium where he ultimately collapsed.

Authorities said CPR and a defibrillator was used before emergency crews came on the scene and transported Agu to Alta Bates Medical Center in Berkeley, where he died.

According to the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an abnormality in the heart that occurs without any obvious cause. The site says HCM is the most common of all genetic heart conditions affecting 1 in 500 people and is usually present at birth or during childhood. It was not known whether Agu or Agu’s family knew he had the condition.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter Follow @YahooDrSaturday