Sadly, Elvis and his family did not seem to be destined to live long lives. The King of Rock and Roll passed away at the tender age of forty-two. His mother died when she was just forty-six, and three of Elvis’s uncles passed away in their forties as well. The fact remains that Elvis’s grandparents were cousins, which might have contributed to a genetic defect that was responsible for the early deaths of Elvis and his daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, who passed away in January 2023 at the age of fifty-four.

The early deaths in Elvis’s family are thought to be related to the genetic disorder called Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. The disease, which is pretty rare, caused liver and lung damage as well as a host of other life-threatening health problems. Many people believe that Elvis, as well as his daughter, passed away from problems related to the genetic disorder passed on through inbred family members of Elvis.
Elvis died from cardiac arrest when he was just forty-two years old. His mother also had heart failure when she was forty-six. His mother, Gladys, had three brothers who also died in their forties from heart failure and lung problems thought to be related to the defective genes in Elvis’s family tree.
In a biography detailing the twisted family history of Elvis that included inbreeding among cousins (above) and early deaths for many family members, author Sally Hoedel described the foregone conclusion that Elvis was going to die so young in her book entitled Elvis: Destined to Die Young. Elvis’s maternal grandparents were first cousins. Their marriage produced children that were sick with bad genes that are thought to cause the genetic defect responsible for Elvis’s early death as well as the early death of Lisa Marie Presley at age fifty-four.

 

The family history of early deaths attributed to the Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency has been a mystery for years, but it is thought to be the culprit in these premature fatalities.