Beethoven's finest masterpieces may have been inspired by his irregular 'heartbeat'

A new study has recently revealed that Ludwig van Beethoven composed some of the most famous work of all time by following his "irregular heartbeat."

Team of researchers from the University of Michigan and University of Washington that includes a cardiologist, medical historian, and musicologist analyzed several of Beethoven's compositions for clues of a heart condition some have speculated he had.

The rhythms of certain parts of renowned works, researchers say, may in fact reflect the irregular rhythms of Beethoven's own heart caused by cardiac arrhythmia. The study is published in Perspectives in Biology and Medicine.

The team studied the rhythmic patterns of several compositions that might reflect Beethoven's experience of an arrhythmia, a condition that causes the heart to beat too fast, too slow, or with an irregular rhythm. Sudden, unexpected changes in pace and keys in Beethoven's music appear to match such asymmetrical patterns.

Beethoven has been linked with a litany of mysterious health problems including inflammatory bowel disease, Paget's disease (abnormal bone destruction), liver disease, alcohol abuse, and kidney disease. His most often described ailment was deafness, which the authors said could have heightened his other senses and made him even more aware of his heartbeat.