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CHICAGO — A woman's death in her Washington Heights home Thursday was partly due to heat stress, a Friday autopsy revealed.
Annie Spears, 71, was pronounced dead at 12:50 p.m. Thursday in her home in the 9700 block of South Green Street, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.
A Friday autopsy said Spears' main cause of death was heart disease, and contributing factors were heat stress and diabetes. Her death was ruled natural.
A recent heat wave in Chicago prompted an advisory in effect for Thursday and Friday, when temperatures were expected to top 100 degrees with the heat index.
The National Weather Service advises people to check in on elderly neighbors and relatives, who can be especially vulnerable to extreme heat.
