Recent studies of ancient Egyptian mummies by whole-body multislice computed tomographic scans documented the presence of atherosclerosis in their aorta, as evidenced by calcification, as well as in the femoral, iliac, carotid, and coronary arteries.1, 2 Therefore, arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular calcification are not unique to contemporary humans. Indeed, coronary atherosclerotic disease is not a modern ailment: it existed in China as far back as 2nd-century B.C.3-8 Extensive occlusive coronary atherosclerotic disease was found in a 50-year-old Chinese noblewoman — Lady Dai — who died in 163 B.C.9 She had a severely occluded left anterior descending coronary artery (Figure 1), which was responsible for her sudden death from an anterior myocardial infarction an hour or so after a meal.3-8
Figure 1.
Severe occlusive atherosclerotic disease in the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery (inset) of a 50-year-old Chinese noblewoman who died of acute myocardial infarction over 2,100 years ago.
Lady Dai had several risk factors. First, she had a Type A personality; 138½ musk melon seeds were found in her stomach (Figure 2), and researchers believed she must have gulped down the melon in a great haste.6-8 Second, she was overweight as evidenced by her appearance (Figure 1). Third, she had diabetes and hypertension.9 Fourth, as judged from her richly furnished tomb and the fact that she was a noblewoman with many servants waiting on her, she probably did not need to exert herself. Finally, packets of herbal medicines containing cinnamon, magnolia bark, and peppercorns were found in the tomb (Figure 3), suggesting that the noblewoman suffered from angina pectoris during her life.6 According to Han medical canons, these medicines were prescribed for patients with coronary heart disease as they still are by traditional Chinese doctors in China today.7
Figure 2.
138½ musk melon seeds found in her stomach.
Figure 3.
The unearthed herbs that were buried in the noblewoman’s tomb. Courtesy of Hunan Provincial Museum, China.
References
- 1.Allam AH, Thompson RC, Wann LS, Miyamoto MI, Halim Nur el din A, Abd el-Maksoud G, et al. Atherosclerosis in ancient Egyptian mummies: the Horus study. J Am Coll Cardiol Img. 2011;4:315–27. doi: 10.1016/j.jcmg.2011.02.002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 2.Allam AH, Thompson RC, Wann LS, Miyamoto MI, Thomas GS. Computed tomographic assessment of atheroslcerosis in ancient Egyptian mummies. JAMA. 2009 Nov 18;302(19):2091–4. doi: 10.1001/jama.2009.1641. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 3.Hall AJ. A lady from China’s past. A noblewoman’s last day 2,100 years ago, seems to dawn again with the discovery of her richly furnished tomb. Natl Geogr. 1974;145:660–81. [Google Scholar]
- 4.Cheng TO. Prevalence and incidence of heart disease. In: Cheng TO editor. The international textbook of cardiology. New York/Oxford: Pergamon Press; 1986. Chapter 1, p. 1-9. [Google Scholar]
- 5.Cheng TO. Glimpses of the past from the recently unearthed ancient corpses in China. Ann Intern Med. 1984 Nov;101(5):714–5. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-101-5-714. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 6.Cheng TO. Arteriosclerosis is not a modern disease. Texas Heart Inst J. 1996;23(4):315.. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 7.Cheng TO. The evolution of cardiology in China. In: Wan S Yim APC, editors. Cardiothoracic surgery in China: past, present and future. Hong Kong: the Chinese University Press; 2007. p. 204-305. [Google Scholar]
- 8.Cheng TO. Evidence of Type A personality in a Chinese lady who died of acute myocardial infarction 2,100 years ago. Tex Heart Inst J. 2002;29(2):154–5. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 9.Bonn-Muller E. Entombed in style. The lavish afterlife of a Chinese noblewoman. Archaeology. 2009;62(3):40–3. [Google Scholar]