Regular boozing is known to raise blood pressure, and uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
But on top of this is his love of tobacco. For the first five series, Big – said to be in his mid-60s – was an enthusiastic cigarette smoker.
Pipe/cigar smokers have significantly higher risk of coronary heart disease and stroke events than never smokers. Cardiovascular, non-cardiovascular, and all-cause mortality are significantly higher in pipe/cigar smokers than never smokers.