A recent investigation indicated that the abrupt death of a 19-year-old Californian law student, which occurred during her exchange in the United Kingdom, may have been linked to a popular injection used for weight loss.
Information released on September 9 revealed that 19-year-old Nasr was found dead in her dormitory at the University of East London in September last year, due to a cardiac arrhythmia. The cause of death was recently announced by the East London Coroner’s Office.
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The law student, who was in her second year, used the medication Tirzepatide for weight loss, prescribed by a doctor in California. On the day of his discovery, university officials located an empty pill bottle in his room. Records at the time indicated that Nasr was overweight, not obese.
The tragic incident happened a week after Nasr returned from a trip to Korro, Egypt, where he visited his family. At around 8:30 pm the day before her death, she reported to her father, George Nasr, her mother, Lorin Mansour, and her sister Anastasia Nasr that she was feeling severe nausea and vomiting.
Concerned about possible dehydration, Sister Anastasia contacted a private clinic to arrange the administration of intravenous fluid. When Nasr did not respond to subsequent calls, the family requested that the university verify his status. A security guard and a nurse found her passed out in the bathroom, and the paramedics who arrived at the scene certified her death.
The Mayo Clinic warns that medications in this category, aimed at weight loss, can cause adverse effects such as nausea and vomiting. The substance mentioned is a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist, marketed under the names Maunzaro, for type 2 diabetes, and Jeffbound, for weight control and obstructive sleep apnea.
The autopsy carried out confirmed that the young woman had myocardial bridges, a congenital heart condition capable of triggering arrhythmias. The pathologist responsible for the analysis indicated that the vomiting, induced by Tirzepatide – the active ingredient in Maunzaro – may have caused hypoglycemia. This situation would have caused an electrolyte imbalance which, together with the pre-existing heart disease, resulted in fatal cardiac arrhythmias.
In her statement to the court, the young woman stated: “I was a young woman with no other health problems.” However, the coroner’s conclusion was that Nasr’s death resulted from a cardiac arrhythmia. This was caused by the combination of myocardial bridges and a hypoglycemic electrolyte imbalance, both resulting from the prescribed medication.
George Nasr, the student’s father, remembered his daughter fondly, stating that “She was a child full of joy” and that “She always put others first.” He also added that the young woman “really loved traveling and the sea.”