CT Scans of Egyptian Mummies Reveal Atherosclerosis Affected Ancient People

Doctors have for long emphasized that atherosclerosis or hardening of arteries is a disease caused as a result of modern lifestyles and unhealthy fast foods. However, researchers from University of California, Irvine, conducted CT body scans in 52 Egyptian mummies dating between 1981 BC to AD 364 and successfully identified arteries and heart tissue in 44 mummies.

Of the 44, nearly half the number showed calcification or hardening of the arteries. 20% of them died before the age of 40 and they showed hardening of one major artery and 60% who were over 40 years of age when they died, showed calcification in multiple blood vessels. Calcification in the blood vessels of the brain was noticed in some mummies.

UC Irvine cardiologist, Dr. Gregory S. Thomas and his research team led the study.

The same research team headed by Dr. Gregory S Thomas conducted a similar research last year where they looked at 16 Egyptian mummies. Nine of them were found to have calcification and eight of them died after 45 years of age.

The oldest known case of coronary artery disease was found in the mummified body of an Egyptian princess. She lived around 1580 to 1550 BC and was in her early 40s when she died.

Most mummies showed calcification of larger arteries with 7% showing obstruction in heart arteries, that causes heart attacks and 14% has blockages in the arteries of the brain that lead to strokes. However, the study of mummies did not pinpoint the exact cause of death, but ancient Egyptian scrolls do mention of chest pain that may have been pain arising due to cardiac problems.

The ancient Egyptians had healthy eating habits, consuming more of fruits, vegetables, and lean meats and they were not known to be smokers. Despite that, the evidence of atherosclerosis in the mummies led researchers to believe that atherosclerosis is part of our genetic make-up.

Dr. Thomas said, “We may understand atherosclerosis less well than we think. It may be that humans are predisposed to atherosclerosis,” he said, “that it is part of our genetic makeup.”