George Michael died from natural causes

A British coroner has ruled George Michael died from natural causes.

Darren Salter, senior coroner for Oxfordshire said on Tuesday the singer died from dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver.

Michael, who rose to fame as the frontman of Wham! and had chart-topping hits including Last Christmas and Freedom, suffered health scares and fought drug addiction for years.

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle. It becomes stretched and thin, which affects how blood is able to pump around the body.

In some cases, it is an inherited condition. Otherwise, it is caused by things such as viral infections, uncontrolled high blood pressure, problems with the heart valves or excessive drinking.

Myocarditis is inflammation in or around the heart and is usually caused by a viral, bacterial or fungal infection.

Symptoms include pain or tightness in the chest which can spread to other parts of the body.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is caused by a build-up of fat in the liver and is usually seen in people who are overweight or obese.

A different type of fatty liver disease is caused by excessive drinking and is known as alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Michael's former partner Kenny Goss has previously said he believed the pop superstar's body "just gave up".