Lamar Odom shows signs of improvement with increased heart function

Friends, relatives and fans of Lamar Odom received a glimmer of hope on Friday morning when the former NBA basketball player’s life-threatening condition saw a slight improvement.

Doctors treating Odom in the intensive care unit at Sunrise Hospital, close to the Las Vegas Strip, were believed to have detected increased heart function and were continuing to monitor his situation closely.

TMZ reported that Odom’s heart was “on the mend.” USA TODAY Sports understands that prognosis may be prematurely optimistic, according to a person at the hospital who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

After being rushed to hospital on Tuesday following a three-day binge involving use of cocaine and up to 10 sexual performance pills, Odom was still very much fighting for his life.

A toxicology report on blood drawn from Odom soon after his hospitalization was still pending, amid reports that he had ingested a cocktail of numerous drugs.

Some witnesses at the hospital said that Caitlyn Jenner had visited the facility on Thursday, having traveled from Idaho where she had spent time with her injured mother Esther. However, the visit was contradicted by other witnesses.

Meanwhile, Khloe Kardashian, still Odom’s wife as their divorce has not been finalized, maintained a vigil by the 35-year-old’s bedside.