Egyptians had heart disease 3,000 years ago
Wednesday November 18th, 2009
The symptoms of heart disease are not solely caused by modern "lifestyle" factors, researchers have reported after studying Egyptian mummies.
Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, has been detected in mummies 3,500 years old, by Dr Randall Thompson of the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, USA, and colleagues.
They collaborated with imaging experts, Egyptologists and preservationists
to examine 22 mummies housed in the Museum of Antiquities in Cairo, Egypt,
dating from 1981 B.C. to 364 A.D.
Using six-slice computed X-ray tomography scans, the team looked for heart and blood vessel tissue, and if so what condition it was in at the time of death. Blood vessels or heart tissue were present in 13 of the mummies, and four had intact hearts.
Findings were presented American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions, held in Orlando, Florida, USA, from November 14 to 18, 2009.
"Definite atherosclerosis, in other words a build-up of fat, cholesterol, calcium and other substances in the inner walls of blood vessels, was present in three and probable atherosclerosis in an additional three," the team reported.
The oldest mummy who showed atherosclerosis died in about 1530 to 1570 B.C. Known as Lady Rai, she was a nursemaid to Queen Ahmose Nefertiti of Egypt, and lived 200 years before King Tutankhamun.
Researcher Dr Michael Miyamoto said: "Our findings show that atherosclerosis is not strictly a disease of modern humans caused by unhealthy lifestyles.
"In fact, it is possible that humans have a genetic predisposition to the development of atherosclerosis. Our findings remind us of the value of preventive medicine in eliminating or controlling manifestations of heart and vascular disease."
He added: "As the mummy CT images appeared on the monitor, we were struck by the fact that our project was made possible by combining the advanced technologies of two different eras ? the science of mummification in ancient Egypt and modern imaging.
"In a real sense, this was a scientific collaboration that spanned great time and distance."
Calcification in particular was significantly more common in the mummies thought to be 45 years or older when they died, and equally common in men and women, the researchers found.
The experts believe we "may have to look beyond modern risk factors to fully understand heart disease", as atherosclerosis "was present and not unusual in humans living 3,000 years ago".
Factors that may have contributed to heart problems included the large amounts of salt that were used to preserve meat and vegetables.
Tags: Africa | General Health | Heart Health | North America
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