When was José Griñán diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica? Health struggles explored as beloved Houston anchor dies at 72

José Griñán, the former FOX 26 anchor, who was diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica in 2022, passed away on Monday at the 72. The news was revealed by the outlet through a post on X (formerly Twitter). They said:

"Beloved former FOX 26 Houston anchor José Griñán has died. Though José may no longer be with us, his legacy will continue to shine brightly in the stories he told, the lives he touched, and the city he loved."

The cause of José Griñán's death has not yet been revealed, although he faced several health issues in the years before his passing. According to Chron, Griñán was diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica in 2022.

More about José Griñán's health struggles, as beloved broadcast journalist passes away

José Griñán, who has had a long and illustrious career in journalism, began his journey in 1971, working as a cinematographer for the Army. Later, he worked at various news outlets before joining FOX 26 in 1993.

José Griñán celebrated thirty years with FOX 26 in 2022, after which he had to go on an extended medical leave, before rejoining the network in January 2023. After his appearance on the show, Griñán briefly spoke about being told to rest by his doctors, although he did not mention the exact cause of his illness, saying:

"It's really exciting to be back after being off for such a long time. But when they doctors say you have to rest, you have to rest and you have to obey the doctors orders."

According to Chron, despite returning for the morning broadcast, José Griñán retired five months later in June 2023. According to the outlet, Griñán was diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica in the previous year. The resulting treatments for his condition led to the formation of cataracts in his eyes, something that would have made it difficult to read the news while on air.

On the other hand, according to Mike McGuff's blog, the celebrated reporter suffered a stroke back in 2010 while at work. In 2017, José Griñán talked about how he knew he was having a stroke, further discussing the debilitating signs of a stroke in hopes of helping others recognize them. He said:

"I was sitting next to Melissa and all of a sudden I got double vision. And it wasn't side-by-side vision, it was over-under vision. My mini-stroke took place right here in this studio."

Griñán, who later underwent neck vertebrae surgery in 2014 and a back surgery in 2016, further added:

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"My daughter, who was visiting, thank god. She came in and looked in the room because the alarm clock was going off. ‘You okay, dad?’ I looked at her and she was like ‘what’s the matter?’ ‘I don't need you to freak out. I need you to call my doctor.’ So she called him -- this was my eye doctor -- and he said get him to a hospital now. So I was taken to hospital probably in less than 45 minutes after I had those serious symptoms."

José Griñán is survived by his wife, Kathy Griffin Townsend Griñán, his two daughters from his first marriage, along his stepchildren.

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