Prateek Yadav had DVT, cardiac issues, hospitalised on April 29, says doctor

Prateek Yadav, the 38-year-old son of late Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav whose sudden death shocked political circles across Uttar Pradesh, had been battling deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism and recent cardiac complications, a senior doctor who treated him said on Wednesday (May 13).

The provisional postmortem report prepared at the King George's Medical University (KGMU) earlier in the day cited the cause of death as "cardiorespiratory collapse due to massive pulmonary thromboembolism", a condition in which a large blood clot blocks arteries in the lungs leading to sudden heart and lung failure.

A pulmonary thromboembolism is a blockage in one of the pulmonary arteries in the lungs, usually caused by blood clots that travel from the legs or other parts of the body.

High risk patient

Prateek had been grappling with severe complications related to his liver and lungs, leading to multiple admissions at Medanta Hospital in Lucknow for specialised treatment.

Prateek, known as a fitness enthusiast and bodybuilder who also operated a gym in Lucknow, had suddenly fallen ill in the early hours of Wednesday and was rushed to the Civil Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. His wife, BJP leader Aparna Yadav, was not in the city at the time of the incident,

Also read: Mystery shrouds death of Mulayam’s son Prateek; Akhilesh calls it ‘extremely saddening’

His death at a relatively young age left many stunned, including those close to him who described him as health conscious.

A senior doctor told PTI that Prateek was a "very nice" but "high risk" patient, especially after the onset of cardiac involvement, for which he was hospitalised on April 29. However, he insisted that he wanted to go home and checked out of the hospital on May 1.

Cardiac complications

The cardiac involvement was in addition to hypertension and DVT, and in weeks preceding his demise, chest discomfort and pulmonary embolism followed, the doctor said.

"He was my old follow up (patient) for last five-six years for hypertension and DVT. Recently he developed sudden onset of breathlessness and chest discomfort. He was also diagnosed with pulmonary embolism about three weeks back," Dr Ruchita Sharma, associate director, Department of Medicine, Medanta Hospital, told PTI on phone.

The doctor said on April 29, Prateek had visited her and during the visit cardiac complications were also spotted leading to his hospitalisation for couple of days. "We treated him, administered injections during the hospitalisation," Dr Sharma, said, adding that Prateek was also on blood thinners.

She said his "cardiac involvement", coupled with DVT and pulmonary embolism had made him a "high risk patient" though he didn't skip medicines.

"In fact, even on Tuesday night he took all his medicines," the doctor said indicating she was in regular touch with Prateek and his wife Aparna. "He was a very nice patient. I am really feeling very bad right now. I had been seeing him for hypertension for the past six years, for DVT for the last two years," Dr Sharma said. She said Prateek had developed pulmonary embolism in last three weeks adding that cardiac involvement worsened the situation.

"Though he followed all instructions regularly, yet due to cardiac involvement he was certainly on high risk," Dr Sharma said.

Also read: Mulayam's son Prateek Yadav to divorce BJP leader Aparna: 'Never saw such bad soul'

The post-mortem report also notes six contusions found on his body, which are related to two falls he had and was recorded by his doctors.

Personal life

Born in 1988, Prateek Yadav steered clear of his family's political legacy to focus on his interests in real estate and professional fitness. Although Samajwadi Party workers pushed for his political debut in 2012—urging him to contest the Azamgarh seat in the 2014 general elections—the transition to public office never materialised.

In 2011, Prateek married Aparna Bisht, who was politically inclined. In 2022, Aparna officially joined the BJP, citing the women-centric policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as her primary inspiration.

The couple’s relationship faced public scrutiny earlier this year when Prateek took to Instagram to accuse Aparna of damaging family ties and negatively impacting his mental health. However, by January 28, the two had reportedly reconciled.