Raquel Welch’s cause of death, Alzheimer’s diagnosis revealed

Raquel Welch died of cardiac arrest, according to her death certificate, which also revealed an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis the actress hadn’t publicly disclosed.

The certificate, published Tuesday by TMZ, lists cardiac arrest as Welch’s immediate cause of death and Alzheimer’s as an underlying cause.

Welch, known for films such as “One Million Years B.C.” and “The Three Musketeers,” died Feb. 15 at age 82. A representative for the star previously attributed her death to “a brief illness.”

The actress appeared in more than 70 roles across film, TV and stage during a career that began in the mid-1960s and spanned five decades. Welch was known as an international sex symbol whom Playboy put third in its ranking of the sexiest female celebrities of the 20th century.

Welch rose to fame with the 1966 science-fiction film “Fantastic Voyage” and starred later that year in “One Million Years B.C.” She was considered a Hollywood pioneer for her portrayals of strong women, including as the star of the 1971 Western “Hannie Caulder,” which served as an inspiration for Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” saga.

The Chicago-born Welch won a Golden Globe for best actress in a musical or comedy film for the classic 1973 adventure film “The Three Musketeers” and was nominated again at the ceremony for the 1987 made-for-TV film “Right to Die.” She also appeared in a pair of Broadway shows, including starring in the musical “Victor/Victoria” in 1997.

Welch died at her home in Los Angeles County and was cremated, her death certificate said.