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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
medicine
Atherosclerosis in ancient egyptian mummies: The horus study
JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging, Volume 4, No. 4, Year 2011
Notification
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Description
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine whether ancient Egyptians had atherosclerosis. Background: The worldwide burden of atherosclerotic disease continues to rise and parallels the spread of diet, lifestyles, and environmental risk factors associated with the developed world. It is tempting to conclude that atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is exclusively a disease of modern society and did not affect our ancient ancestors. Methods: We performed whole body, multislice computed tomography scanning on 52 ancient Egyptian mummies from the Middle Kingdom to the Greco-Roman period to identify cardiovascular structures and arterial calcifications. We interpreted images by consensus reading of 7 imaging physicians, and collected demographic data from historical and museum records. We estimated age at the time of death from the computed tomography skeletal evaluation. Results: Forty-four of 52 mummies had identifiable cardiovascular (CV) structures, and 20 of these had either definite atherosclerosis (defined as calcification within the wall of an identifiable artery, n = 12) or probable atherosclerosis (defined as calcifications along the expected course of an artery, n = 8). Calcifications were found in the aorta as well as the coronary, carotid, iliac, femoral, and peripheral leg arteries. The 20 mummies with definite or probable atherosclerosis were older at time of death (mean age 45.1 ± 9.2 years) than the mummies with CV tissue but no atherosclerosis (mean age 34.5 ± 11.8 years, p < 0.002). Two mummies had evidence of severe arterial atherosclerosis with calcifications in virtually every arterial bed. Definite coronary atherosclerosis was present in 2 mummies, including a princess who lived between 1550 and 1580 BCE. This finding represents the earliest documentation of coronary atherosclerosis in a human. Definite or probable atherosclerosis was present in mummies who lived during virtually every era of ancient Egypt represented in this study, a time span of >2,000 years. Conclusions: Atherosclerosis is commonplace in mummified ancient Egyptians. © 2011 American College of Cardiology Foundation.
Authors & Co-Authors
Allam, Adel Hassan A.
Egypt, Cairo
Faculty of Medicine
Thompson, Randall C.
United States, Kansas City
Mid America Heart Institute - Kansas City
United States, Kansas City
University of Missouri-kansas City
Wann, Lee Samüel
United States, Milwaukee
The Wisconsin Heart Hospital
Miyamoto, Michael I.
United States, Mission Viejo
Mission Internal Medical Group
United States, La Jolla
University of California, San Diego
Nur el-Din, Abdel Halim
Egypt, Giza
Cairo University
Egypt, Alexandria
Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Abdel-Maksoud, Gomaa
Egypt, Giza
Cairo University
Al-Tohamy Soliman, Muhammad
Egypt, Giza
National Research Centre
Badr, Ibrahem
Egypt, Alexandria
Institute of Restoration
Amer, H. A.
Egypt, Giza
National Research Centre
Sutherland, M. Linda
United States, Newport Beach
Newport Diagnostic Center
Sutherland, James D.
United States
South Coast Radiological Medical Group
Thomas, Gregory S.
United States, Mission Viejo
Mission Internal Medical Group
United States, Irvine
Uci School of Medicine
Statistics
Citations: 143
Authors: 12
Affiliations: 13
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1016/j.jcmg.2011.02.002
ISSN:
1936878X
Research Areas
Noncommunicable Diseases
Study Locations
Egypt