It looks like Arafat died from a stroke

Certainly a complicated case. There was also mention of disseminated intravascular coagulation: ” An American hematology consultant theorized that Arafat might have had a common infection known as diverticulitis, which develops in sacs in the large bowel. An infected diverticulum can burst, leaking its contents into the abdominal cavity to cause a localized abscess or an infection like peritonitis.

The French doctors said they did not find this condition, but it can be hard to detect, the consultant said.

This consultant also said that prescribing heparin for Arafat’s disseminated intravascular coagulation probably hastened his death, but that it was inevitable at this stage. American hematologists generally do not recommend heparin for D.I.C., the American specialist said.”