Fitness entrepreneur Prateek Yadav, who had 1.4 million followers on Instagram, died in hospital after collapsing at his luxury home in Lucknow, India, on Wednesday morning
A millionaire bodybuilder has died from a massive blood clot in his lungs at the age of 38.
Fitness entrepreneur Prateek Yadav collapsed at his home in front of stunned family members. Emergency services rushed to his lavish residence in Lucknow, India, on Wednesday morning (May 13). The gym chain owner was taken to a local hospital, but reportedly died from cardiorespiratory failure caused by a massive pulmonary thromboembolism.
Civil Hospital director Dr. GC Gupta said: “He was brought to the hospital and, despite all efforts by the medical team, he was officially declared dead at 5.55am.” Prateek, who boasted 1.4m Instagram followers, had amassed a huge property empire and owned a £390,000 bespoke Lamborghini, according to reports.
His two fitness chains, Iron Core Fit and The Fitness Planet, boasted imported equipment and exclusive memberships.
He was the youngest son of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, as reported by NeedToKnow.
An MBA graduate from Leeds University, he steered clear of active politics despite his family connections, and regularly posted workout videos and fitness advice on social media.
The unexpected death of such a supremely fit athlete has rocked the bodybuilding world and prompted urgent health warnings about deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Medical records showed that he had been privately struggling with high blood pressure and recurring blood clotting problems for up to five years. Associate Director of Medanta Hospital, Dr. Ruchita Sharma, revealed she had been treating Mr Yadav for chronic hypertension and pulmonary embolism.
She disclosed that the patient had been admitted to the ICU days earlier, but had discharged himself against stringent medical advice.
She further noted that “he was already on blood thinners” and was “fully aware of his medical issues”.
The post-mortem also uncovered six unexplained ‘antemortem’ injuries on his chest and arms, which occurred between one and seven days prior to his death.
Forensic experts have retained the victim’s heart and clot material for histopathological testing, in addition to a comprehensive chemical viscera analysis.
Prateek is survived by his wife, BJP leader Aparna Yadav – with whom he shared two children and a recently mended relationship following a brief public disagreement – and other family members.
His mother, Sadhana Gupta, passed away in 2022.
Experts highlight that pulmonary thromboembolism often originates from clots in the legs that migrate to the lungs, with risk factors including immobility, although it can affect even physically fit individuals.
Symptoms encompass sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, rapid heartbeat and dizziness; immediate treatment with blood thinners is crucial.
The post-mortem dismissed unrelated speculation such as steroid use.
Independent health specialists are utilising the tragedy to caution gym-goers against disregarding subtle warning signs like breathlessness, which are frequently dismissed as routine workout fatigue.
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