RENOWNED astrologer and author Jonathan Cainer died from heart disease, and had taken cocaine prior to his death, an inquest has heard.

Mr Cainer, 58, wrote the stars for the Daily Mail for 20 years, and was found unconscious at his York home at about 10.40pm on May 1 by his wife.

The inquest, at New Earswick Folk Hall on Wednesday, heard Susan Cainer was preparing to go to bed and returned to her husband's office where she found him next to a small packet of white powder and called paramedics.

Despite the efforts of the ambulance workers and doctors, Mr Cainer was pronounced dead at about 12.30am on May 2.

In a statement, Mrs Cainer said her husband used cocaine about once a month, and the inquest heard he had done so since long before an earlier heart attack in 2015.

Coroner Jonathan Leach asked pathologist Andrew Clarke whether the cocaine use had caused the astrologer's death.

York Press:

Dr Clarke said Mr Cainer had abnormalities in his coronary arteries, which left them narrowed by about 80 per cent.

He said: "It's true that for many people that alone would be sufficient to account for a sudden death. However, given cocaine was also present, my view is it's highly likely that the cocaine's cardiotoxic effect will have had some part to play in this death."

A toxicology report stated there was "a low concentration" of cocaine in Mr Cainer's blood, and Dr Clarke said its presence could mean a small amount had been taken just prior to his death, but the traces could have been remnants of a larger amount taken much earlier.

Dr Clarke said "presence of cocaine is highly likely to have been a contributing factor" in Mr Cainer's death, and the cause of death was ischaemic heart disease, coronary atheroma and cocaine use.

Mr Leach returned an open verdict into Mr Cainer's death, and said: "In summary, the condition of Mr Cainer's heart was due to underlying heart problems, and use of cocaine will not have helped his heart difficulties and it is not possible to say whether if he had not taken cocaine in the 24 hours prior to his death, he would not have died in any event."

Following the inquest, Mr Cainer's brother Daniel said: "It’s no secret that Jonathan had a somewhat complicated private life, so it’s upsetting but not entirely surprising to discover that he had these personal issues. Had he lived on the very straight and narrow he would not have had the breadth of emotional experience, understanding and empathy which made him able to communicate with so many, on such a deep level.

"You might say that the wisdom and insights that he undoubtedly provided were also messages to himself. He was a warm, effusive, generous and funny man, a well as being a complex and contradictory one who lived his life to the full. He had a unique and remarkable gift. He was always a maverick, and I miss him."