General Hospital star Tyler Christopher's cause of death revealed

Former

star

's cause of death has been confirmed.

The US soap star — who was best known for playing Nikolas Cassadine on the long-running ABC daytime TV soap opera — died at his San Diego home in October.

While

star Maurice Beard previously shared that Tyler died following a "cardiac event", it has now been revealed that he suffered

, according to a report from the Medical Examiner's Office obtained by

.

Coronary artery atherosclerosis

, a condition where plaque can build up in the arteries, was also included as a contributing factor.

According to the Medican Examiner's report, Tyler was suffocated due to the position he was in while he was intoxicated and his death was ruled

.

The TV star battled alcohol abuse, and in 2019, he was arrested and charged with public intoxication, to which he was found guilty.

Tyler was on

from 1996 to 2016. He also earned a Daytime Emmy for his portrayal of Stefan DiMera on

.

Tyler was married to

star

, 48, from 2002 to 2004.

He was previously engaged to his

co-star

and dated

.

Tyler is survived by his two children.

Following the actor's death, Beard wrote in an Instagram tribute to his friend: "It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Tyler Christopher. Tyler passed away this morning following a cardiac event in his San Diego apartment. Tyler was a truly talented individual that lit up the screen in every scene he performed and relished bringing joy to his loyal fans through his acting. Tyler was a sweet soul and wonderful friend to all of those who knew him. Tyler was an advocate for better mental health and substance use treatment who openly spoke about his struggles with bipolar depression and alcohol. We are beyond devastated by the loss of our dear friend and pray for his children and his father."

The show's executive producer, Frank Valentini, told

: "I am heartbroken over the news of Tyler Christopher's passing. He was kind, an incredible actor, and dear friend, who was beloved by our GH family and fans of Nikolas Cassadine. On behalf of everyone at General Hospital, our heartfelt sympathies go out to his loved ones during this difficult time."