Elizabeth Taylor,Storied Actress and Entrepreneur

Elizabeth Taylor was laid to rest Thursday in a private family service at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles,where her good friend Michael Jackson was interred two years ago.Dame Elizabeth,given the honorific title Dame Commander,Order of the British Empire,by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000,died Wednesday of congestive heart failure,attended by her four children at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.She was 79.
The British-born actress and businesswoman was a longtime resident of The Golden State and was inducted into the California Hall of Fame in 2007.Fans left flowers and photos on her star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame to mark her passing.The magnitude of her celebrity was matched only by her resolve to meet the health challenges that confronted her.
Two years ago,Dame Elizabeth underwent heart valve surgery.Heart valve disease often results in congestive heart failure.
Today,early surgery is more and more recommended for heart valve patients to prevent this progression and other conditions that damaged valves lead to,such as atrial fibrillation.The old way was to postpone surgery until patients became very ill,but recent research shows that does not lead to the best outcome.
Heart valve disease has nothing to do with cholesterol levels and clogged arteries.Any of a number of other factors may be involved,from birth defects to simply the aging process.Narrowing or floppy valves put stress on the heart,often with fatal consequences.The preference is to repair the valves,but replacement with animal or artificial valves may be necessary.
Dame Elizabeth was renowned in her later years for her jewelry designs,The Elizabeth Collection,as well as her perfumes,including White Diamonds,which alone has earned an estimated one billion dollars.She was also a leading AIDS activist and philanthropist.
In addition to her sons and daughters,Dame Elizabeth is survived by her brother,Howard,as well as several grandchildren and great grandchildren.Also interred at Forest Lawn are Clark Gable,Jean Harlow and Walt Disney.

Elizabeth Taylor Still In Hospital

Elizabeth Taylor,the celebrated Anglo-American actress,remains in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.She was admitted in early February with symptoms of congestive heart failure,a condition she was diagnosed with in 2004.
Dame Elizabeth,79,has battled a number of health issues in recent years,including osteoporosis,a benign brain tumor and pneumonia.Her mind has remained clear and she has maintained a great interest in her lines of jewelry and perfumes,both of which have been quite successful business ventures.
A leading cinematic presence from the 1950s through the 1970s,the British-born star won the Best Actress Oscar twice-for her roles in BUtterfield 8(1960) and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?(1966).Her string of major achievements began at the age of 12 in National Velvet(1944).
In congestive heart failure,which is categorized as a syndrome,the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's oxygen demands,resulting in a build-up of water and sodium from the kidneys' reaction to this inadequate circulation.Potentially fatal,its symptoms may be treated with a number of medications.
A syndrome is a group of signs or symptoms that together indicate or characterize a disease or other abnormal condition.
The daughter of American parents who were living in England,Dame Elizabeth has dual U.K.-U.S. citizenship.As a close friend of the late pop star Michael Jackson,she attended his funeral in 2009.