It occurs when deposits of fat, cholesterol, calcium and other substances accumulate in artery walls, causing blood vessels to harden and narrow, which restricts blood flow around the body.
When the plaques rupture they form a blood clot that can block the flow of blood more dramatically, which can result in a heart attack or stroke.
A Warner Bros spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter no further information would be given on Sandera’s death as Eastwood wants to privately grieve.
The Oscar-winner confirmed Sandera had passed away in a statement issued on July 18, in which he said: “Christina was a lovely, caring woman, and I will miss her very much.”
He and Sandera had been together since 2014 after meeting while she was working as a hostess at Eastwood’s Mission Ranch Hotel and Restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.
Director Clint Eastwood and Christina Sandera attend a screening of "Sully" at the Directors Guild Of America on September 8, 2016, in Los Angeles. Photo / Jason LaVeris
They made their red carpet debut at the 2015 Academy Awards and even though they lived a relatively private life, Sandera was a regular plus-one with Eastwood at his red carpet events.
She was also very close to his large family and in 2018 joined three of his eight kids, as well as his granddaughter and first wife Margaret Johnson at the premiere of his film The Mule.
Two years later, Eastwood’s son Scott Eastwood, 38, said the whole clan planned to celebrate his dad’s 90th birthday.
He added: “We’re going to do just a family thing. Very calm, very mellow. “He doesn’t like birthdays. He’s just sort of like, ‘I don’t want to do birthdays … we’ll sneak a cake in there, definitely.
“He probably won’t like it, but we’ll put one in.”
