Elizabeth Pena's alcohol abuse led to her death on Oct. 14.
The "La Bamba" star suffered from cirrhosis of the liver, a complication of alcohol abuse as stated in a death certificate obtained by NBC News.
Pena passed away at the age of 55 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Oct. 14. The death certificate also states that the actress undergone cardiac arrest as a result of her condition and had gastrointestinal bleeding hours before her death.
TMZ reports that the actress has been suffering from the disease in months but it became severe shortly before her death.
Cirrhosis of the liver has been the complication of Elizabeth Pena's alcohol abuse. It is a slowly progressing disease wherein healthy liver tissues are replaced by scar tissues preventing the organ from functioning properly.
People who mostly drink large amount of alcohol harm their livers and women who are heavy drinkers are at more risk compared to men. It is the 12th leading cause of death by disease according to the National Institutes of Health. There is no cure for the disease but treatments are available to delay its progress and reduce complications.
Pena leaves with 35 years of fruitful acting career starting in the late 70s. In 1987, she had her breakthrough role in the Richie Valens biopic, "La Bamba." Over the years, she kept a high profile career with roles both in film and television.
She recently performed in a guest performance in television series, "Modern Family" as Sofia Vergara's mother.
Lou Diamond Phillips, Pena's co-star in "La Bamba" shared his lament in his friend's passing and tweeted, "I am stunned and heartbroken, just found out about the passing of my friend Elizabeth Pena."
Pena is survived by her mother and sister, her husband, Hans Rolla and two children.
