title: Atherosclerosis in ancient and modern Egyptians: the Horus study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although atherosclerosis is usually thought of as a disease of modernity, the Horus Team has previously reported atherosclerotic vascular calcifications on computed tomographic (CT) scans in ancient Egyptians.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to compare patterns and demographic characteristics of this disease among Egyptians from ancient and modern eras.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared the presence and extent of vascular calcifications from whole-body CT scans performed on 178 modern Egyptians from Cairo undergoing positron emission tomography (PET)/CT for cancer staging to CT scans of 76 Egyptian mummies (3100 bce to 364 ce).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the modern Egyptian group was 52.3 ± 15 years (range 14 to 84) versus estimated age at death of ancient Egyptian mummies 36.5 ± 13 years (range 4 to 60); p < 0.0001. Vascular calcification was detected in 108 of 178 (60.7%) of modern patients versus 26 of 76 (38.2%) of mummies, p < 0.001. Vascular calcifications on CT strongly correlated to age in both groups. In addition, the severity of disease by number of involved arterial beds also correlated to age, and there was a very similar pattern between the 2 groups. Calcifications in both modern and ancient Egyptians were seen peripherally in aortoiliac beds almost a decade earlier than in event-related beds (coronary and carotid).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence and severity of atherosclerotic vascular disease correlates strongly to age in both ancient and modern Egyptians. There is a striking correlation in the distribution of the number of vascular beds involved. Atherosclerotic calcifications are seen in the aortoiliac beds almost a decade earlier than in the coronary and carotid beds.
authors: Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt. Electronic address: aallamegy@netscape.net.
authors: Adel H
authors: AH
authors: Allam
authors: Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors: Mohamed A
authors: MA
authors: Mandour Ali
authors: Cardiovascular Physicians, Columbia St. Mary's Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
authors: L Samuel
authors: LS
authors: Wann
authors: Saint Luke's Mid-America Heart Institute, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA.
authors: Randall C
authors: RC
authors: Thompson
authors: Newport Diagnostic Center, Newport Beach, CA, USA.
authors: M Linda
authors: ML
authors: Sutherland
authors: Saddleback Memorial Medical Center, Laguna Hills, CA, USA.
authors: James D
authors: JD
authors: Sutherland
authors: National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.
authors: Bruno
authors: B
authors: Frohlich
authors: Miller Children's Hospital of Long Beach, Long Beach, CA, USA.
authors: David E
authors: DE
authors: Michalik
authors: Institute for Mummies and the Iceman, European Academy of Bolzano/Bozen (EURAC), Bolzano/Bozen, Italy.
authors: Albert
authors: A
authors: Zink
authors: Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
authors: Guido P
authors: GP
authors: Lombardi
authors: Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors: Lucia
authors: L
authors: Watson
authors: Department of Archeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors: Samantha L
authors: SL
authors: Cox
authors: Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors: Caleb E
authors: CE
authors: Finch
authors: Mission Heritage Medical Group, St. Joseph Heritage Health, Mission Viejo, CA, USA.
authors: Michael I
authors: MI
authors: Miyamoto
authors: Alfa Scan Outpatient Radiology Center, Cairo, Egypt.
authors: Sallam L
authors: SL
authors: Sallam
authors: Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
authors: Jagat
authors: J
authors: Narula
authors: MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute, Long Beach Memorial, Long Beach, CA, USA; University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
authors: Gregory S
authors: GS
authors: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009106:Mummies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult