The New York City medical examiner has determined that Buffy and Gossip Girl actor Michelle Trachtenberg died of complications from diabetes, clearing up some questions about her cause of death that have lingered since she passed away in February at age 39.
Previously, the medical examiner’s office said Trachtenberg’s cause of death was undetermined. But the medical examiner has now concluded that Trachtenberg died a natural death due to complications from diabetes.
It’s unusual for somebody so young to die from diabetes, says Clare Kelly, MD, an endocrinologist at the University Hospitals Diabetes and Metabolic Care Center in Cleveland.
“In the United States, this does not happen frequently,” Dr. Kelly says. “It is devastating when it does.”
A person can develop diabetes after a liver transplant, and is also a side effect of some medications taken to prevent organ rejection, according to Mayo Clinic.
It’s not clear what type of diabetes Trachtenberg had or what kind of complications contributed to her death. However, uncontrolled blood sugar over a long period of time is the most common cause of both chronic and acute complications in different types of diabetes, Kelly says.
What Is Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)?
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a serious and potentially life-threatening complication of diabetes.
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What Is Diabetes Mellitus?
Diabetes mellitus is a group of diseases that impact how the body uses blood sugar. The exact cause of diabetes depends on what type you have, but all forms of this condition can lead to elevated blood sugar levels that may cause serious health problems.
There are three main types of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes: an autoimmune disorder that causes the body to stop making insulin, a hormone used to control blood sugar.
Type 2 diabetes: a condition that develops when the body can’t use insulin well to manage blood sugar.
Gestational diabetes: an issue for some pregnant people who previously had normal blood sugar.
What Are Common Diabetes Symptoms?
Some people with diabetes have no symptoms at all, but symptoms can become more common and more noticeable as blood sugar levels rise. Some common symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes can include:
Feeling more thirsty than usual
Urinating often
Losing weight without trying
Presence of ketones in the urine (ketones are a byproduct of the breakdown of muscle and fat that happens when there’s not enough available insulin)
Feeling tired and weak
Feeling irritable or having other mood changes
Having blurry vision
Having slow-healing sores
Getting a lot of infections, such as gum, skin, and vaginal infections
What Are Common Diabetes Complications?
The most common long-term complications of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are similar, Kelly says.
“The cause of the chronic complications of both diseases is uncontrolled blood sugars over a long period of time” Kelly says. These can include cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, eye disease, and neurological disease, Kelly says.
There are also acute complications that can be life-threatening if not treated immediately, including:
Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic State (HHS) This mostly impacts people with type 2 diabetes and happens when blood sugar levels are very high for a long period, leading to severe dehydration and confusion. It requires immediate medical treatment.
Diabetes-Related Ketoacidosis (DKA)DKA usually impacts people with type 1 diabetes and happens when the body doesn’t have enough insulin. Without adequate insulin the body can’t use glucose for energy, so it breaks down fat instead. This process eventually releases substances called ketones, which turn blood acidic. The result can be labored breathing, vomiting, and loss of consciousness. DKA requires immediate medical treatment.
Severe Low Blood Sugar (Hypoglycemia)Hypoglycemia happens when blood sugar drops to dangerously low levels, and it mainly impacts people with diabetes who use insulin. Signs include blurred or double vision, clumsiness, disorientation. and seizures. It requires treatment with emergency glucagon or medical intervention.
How Common Is Diabetes After a Liver Transplant?
Post-transplant diabetes mellitus is the most common metabolic complication after a liver transplant, according to a recent study. It occurs in up to 40 percent of people who get solid organ transplants, and can increase the risk of experiencing and dying from cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes in the months after a transplant.
Diabetes reduces survival odds after a liver transplant by several years, according to another recent study. People with post-transplant diabetes mellitus survive an average of 4.2 years, compared with 6.1 years for liver transplant survivors without diabetes, this research found.
Can Diabetes Complications Be Prevented?
“Both chronic and acute complications can be prevented by careful attention to blood sugar control,” Kelly says.
Depending on the actual complication, there are more specific ways to treat it or prevent progression once it develops, Kelly adds.
This is why it is important for people with diabetes to have routine follow-up with either their primary care provider or their endocrinologist to ensure that their blood sugar is well managed and any other chronic health issues are addressed, Kelly advises.
Patients can also discuss what complications may happen in their specific situation and learn what signs to watch for.
How Many People Die of Diabetes Complications?
Diabetes is responsible for about 579,000 emergency room visits and roughly 101,000 deaths annually, making it the eighth leading cause of death in the United States, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Being diagnosed at a younger age is associated with an increased risk of premature death, some research suggests. One study, for example, found people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in their thirties were almost three times more likely to die prematurely as their counterparts without diabetes.
“There is likely an impact of diabetes on life expectancy,” Kelly says. “That impact is heightened by uncontrolled diabetes leading to the chronic complications, and that impact is minimized by good glycemic control and ongoing surveillance and preventative care regarding potential complications of diabetes.”
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
Petri A. Michelle Trachtenberg, ‘Buffy’ Actress, Died From Complications of Diabetes. The New York Times. April 16, 2025.
Blackwelder C et al. ‘Buffy’ and ‘Gossip Girl’ Actress Michelle Trachtenberg Dead at 39. ABC News. February 26, 2025.
‘Buffy’ Star Michelle Trachtenberg Dead at 39. TMZ. February 27, 2025.
Zhang Z et al. Progress of New-Onset Diabetes After Liver and Kidney Transplantation. Frontiers in Endocrinology. February 8, 2023.
Kaptoge S et al. Life Expectancy Associated With Different Ages at Diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes in High-Income Countries: 23 Million Person-Years of Observation. The Lancet: Diabetes & Endocrinology. September 11, 2023.
Tom Gavin joined Everyday Health as copy chief in 2022 after a lengthy stint as a freelance copy editor. He has a bachelor's degree in psychology from College of the Holy Cross.
Prior to working for Everyday Health, he wrote, edited, copyedited, and fact-checked for books, magazines, and digital content covering a range of topics, including women's health, lifestyle, recipes, restaurant reviews, travel, and more. His clients have included Frommer's, Time-Life, and Google, among others.
He lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he likes to spend his time making music, fixing too-old electronics, and having fun with his family and the dog who has taken up residence in their home.
Lisa Rapaport is a journalist with more than 20 years of experience on the health beat as a writer and editor. She holds a master’s degree from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and spent a year as a Knight-Wallace journalism fellow at the University of Michigan. Her work has appeared in dozens of local and national media outlets, including Reuters, Bloomberg, WNYC, The Washington Post,Los Angeles Times, Scientific American, San Jose Mercury News, Oakland Tribune, Huffington Post, Yahoo! News, The Sacramento Bee, and The Buffalo News.
