LOS ANGELES, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Actress Brittany Murphy's death may have been the result of heart-related causes, authorities announced on Monday.

    Los Angeles Assistant Coroner Chief Ed Winter said Murphy's death appears to be from natural causes.

Actress Brittany Murphy attends the Monique Lhuillier 2008/2009 Fall/Winter collection during New York Fashion Week in this file image from February 5, 2008. Murphy, who starred in such films as "Just Married" and "Uptown Girls" but saw her fortunes fade in recent years, died on December 20, 2009 after going into cardiac arrest, the Los Angeles Times reported. She was 32. (Xinhua/Reuters File Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Illness could be a contributing factor to her death, but that it will be weeks before a final determination is made, Winter said.

    He said toxicology tests also would be performed, but the results won't be available for six to eight weeks.

    Winter said prescription medications were taken from Murphy's home and officials will contact her personal physician to get a better sense of her medical history.

    Meanwhile, Murphy's family told Los Angeles officials the actress was ill with flu-like symptoms in the days before her death at age 32.

    Murphy, the star of films such as "Clueless" and "8 Mile", died Sunday morning after collapsing at her Hollywood Hills home.

Actress Brittany Murphy poses at the party for the opening of the Carolina Herrera boutique in Los Angeles November 13, 2006. Xinhua/Reuters File Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    She was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at 10:04a.m. local time Sunday, a hospital spokeswoman said.

    Los Angeles police officers responded to Murphy's home. Foul play was not suspected, said Officer Cleon Joseph, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman.

    No funeral plans were immediately announced.

    Rising out of TV sitcoms in the 1990s, Murphy starred in the movies "Girl Interrupted," "Sin City," "8 Mile," and "Happy Feet," and was the voice of Luanne Platter in 200-plus episodes of "King Of The Hill."

    Born in Atlanta, Murphy was raised by her mother, Sharon Murphy, in Edison, N.J. and later Los Angeles. Her father, Angelo Bertolotti, is a convicted mobster in New Jersey.

    Murphy landed her first role in 1991 on the television show "Blossom," before landing a starring role that same year in "Drexell's Class," a short-lived television series. She also had recurring roles in "Sister, Sister," "Party of Five," and "Boy Meets World."

    In 1998 she was nominated for best leading female performance by the Young Artist Awards for the television movie "David and Lisa."