Cocaine Contributed to Billy Mays's Death

The autopsy of television pitchman Billy Mays revealed heart disease, either caused or contributed to by cocaine usage, as the cause of his heart attack and consequent sudden death on June 28, the Associated Press reports.

The Hillsborough County medical examiner, who conducted the autopsy, determined that the 50-year-old had used cocaine in the few days leading up to his death, but was not under the drug's effcts at the time of his death.

The toxicology report also showed medicinal doses of painkillers and anti-anxiety medications in Mays's system. These can probably be attributed to his hip problems; Mays was scheduled for hip replacement surgery on the day following his death.

Mays got his start by hawking his wares on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, then began working state fairs and home shows before moving up the ranks to TV's Home Shopping Network, and ultimately his well-known commercials and infomercials for products like OxiClean.