The office of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham announced that preliminary findings from the Medical Examiner for the District of Columbia determined that he died from an aortic dissection caused by atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Graham, 71, died Saturday evening at his home on Capitol Hill, shortly after returning from an official visit to Ukraine.
An aortic dissection is a tear in the wall of the body's main artery, the aorta. Earlier, Graham's office had described the incident as a "brief and sudden illness."
A recording of an emergency call from Saturday evening revealed that medical crews were dispatched to Graham's residence following a report of cardiac arrest. CBS News also reported obtaining footage showing emergency responders removing an individual from the Capitol Hill home during the night.
President Donald Trump paid tribute to Graham, calling him "one of the greatest people and senators" he had ever known. "He always worked hard, and he was a true American patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed," Trump said.
Graham's family asked for privacy during what they described as "an unimaginably difficult time."