Hulk Hogan cause of death confirmed as heart attack as secret cancer diagnosis revealed

The official cause of death for Hulk Hogan, who died last week (24 July) at the age of 71, has been given as a heart attack.

Hogan died of acute myocardial infarction, while it was also revealed that he had chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, a type of cancer that attacks the white blood cells.

Page Six reported that Hogan also had a history of atrial fibrillation, which is a condition where someone suffers from an irregular or rapid heart rate.

He had suffered a heart attack at his home in Clearwater, Florida, and was taken to Morton Plant Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The wrestler had undergone surgery on his neck back in May, and earlier in July his wife Sky Daily had rebuffed rumours that the wrestler was now in a coma.

Hulk Hogan's cause of death was a heart attack, but he'd also had cancer (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

One of wrestling's first superstars, Hogan's career was not without controversy as he was once banned from WWE and booted out of its Hall of Fame after recordings of him using a racist slur emerged.

Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, had said 'I guess we're all a little racist' in a video published in 2015, with the wrestler using the n-word while speaking about his daughter's ex-boyfriend.

The wrestler had said he was 'racist to a point' in the recording of him from 2007, with him later saying that it had been the 'biggest mistake' of his life and that his language had been 'unacceptable' as he apologised.

Dropped by WWE in 2015, he was readmitted to the Hall of Fame in 2018 saying 'be careful because people have cell phones and cameras - so just be careful'.

Hulk Hogan had been diagnosed with cancer before his death (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

Hogan's widow Sky Daily said her late husband 'had been dealing with some health issues' but she thought he would recover from them.

She said: "This loss is sudden and impossible to process. To the world, he was a legend… but to me, he was my Terry. The man I loved. My partner. My heart.

"Hulk loved his fans so much and despite his growing physical discomfort, he did everything he could to show up, sign autographs, take photos, and connect with the people who supported him through it all. You meant everything to him.

"He was a believer in Christ, and I take comfort knowing his soul is at peace and he’s been welcomed home.

"Please keep his family and all of us who loved him in your prayers as we try to navigate this new reality."