The Mona Lisa suffered from a serious metabolic disease that made her blood fatty, according to a Belgian doctor.
Jan Dequeker, a rheumatology lecturer at the University of Lovinio, reckons that the enigmatic woman who has fascinated the world for centuries suffered from a disease called hyperlipemia.
Hyperlipemia is a lifestyle disease caused by over-eating and lack of exercise.
Blood levels of lipids (fats) such as cholesterol are too high, leading to serious health risks.
Dequeker, an art buff, says he took a close look at the Mona Lisa and found evidence for the disease in areas of swollen skin.
"There is a swelling on her left hand which shows a build-up of subcutaneous lipids, as does the puffiness around her left eye," Dequeker told ANSA in a telephone interview.
Dequeker said his theory was supported by the usual age of onset of the disease in women, 30-35 - "the age which international experts believe Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa".
The new theory is not the first advanced by medical experts-cum-art lovers.
The Mona Lisa's famous smile has led to endless speculation.
One group of medical researchers has maintained that the sitter's mouth is so firmly shut because she was undergoing mercury treatment for syphilis which turned her teeth black.
An American dentist has claimed that the tight-lipped expression was typical of people who have lost their front teeth, while a Danish doctor was convinced she suffered from congenital palsy which affected the left side of her face and this is why her hands are overly large.
A French surgeon has also put forth his view that she was semi-paralysed, perhaps as the result of a stroke, and that this explained why one hand looks relaxed and the other tense.
