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Heart Disease Found in Mummies

11/18/2009 02:33:00 admin

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By David Liu and editing by Rachel Stockton

A new study revealed that heart disease, or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, was found in 3,500-year old mummies, meaning that heart disease is not a disease of modern man.

Researchers used six-slice computed X-ray tomography (CT) scans to examine 20 mummies housed in the Museum of Antiquities in Cairo, Egypt to see if there was heart and blood vessel tissue in the subjects.

The researchers determined that all mummies were of high social status. They found evidence of blood vessels or heart tissue in 13 of the mummies of which four had intact heart, three had definite atherosclerosis or a buildup of fat, cholesterol, calcium and other substances in the inner walls of blood vessels, and three probably had atherosclerosis or heart disease. Calcification was more commonly present in the mummies estimated to be 45 years or older.

The study was presented on Tuesday at the American Heart Association's annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., and published in the Nov. 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The research was funded by Siemens, National Bank of Egypt and Mid-America Heart Institute.

Modern man may be at even higher risk for heart disease. Dr. Colin To Campbell, a world-famous nutritionist at Cornell University says in his book China Study that plaque buildup was found in more than 70 percent of younger soldiers who died in the Korea War. He suggests that diet makes a big difference. Ninety nine percent of people with artery buildup who followed a diet with high amounts of plant-based foods, but less or no animal-based foods improved or even reversed their condition.

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Comments (3 posted):

danielle on 11/18/2009 13:26:20

this is amazing it is also so weird who ever found this a real weirdo but what eve this is still really amazind

Mike S on 11/18/2009 13:54:57

This article is embarrassing as it ignores a large body of research on Paleolithic man and nutrition: Paleolithic man DID NOT have the "modern" diseases of today ... or the "modern" diseases of the ancient Egyptians either. Why" Because "modern" diseases were mostly unknown until after the advent of agriculture. Neolithic man was not as healthy as his Paleolithic ancestors.

discount supplements on 11/20/2009 10:05:56

Heart disease is often ascribed to modern risk factors, such as smoking, unhealthy diets rich in saturated fats, salt and processed sugars, or sedentary lifestyles. But then cardiologists touring the Egyptian National Museum of Antiquities in Cairo during a medical conference last year noticed the nameplate of the pharoah Merenptah, who ruled from 1213 B.C. to 1203 B.C.