Egyptian mummy 'first to have diseased heart'

An Egyptian princess who lived 3,500 years ago is thought to be the first known person to have developed heart disease, say researchers. Doctors believe the princess would have needed a heart bypass if she were living now. Scans showed she had extensive blockages in arteries leading to her heart, brain, stomach and legs. The researchers say her case shows heart disease pre-dates a modern lifestyle. Cardiac researchers from the US teamed up with colleagues at Al Azhar University in Cairo to analyse the remains of 52 mummies, including those of the princess. They performed full-body scans on mummies at the National Museum of Antiquities in Cairo. They had found evidence of hardening of the arteries in almost half the mummies scanned, researchers told a medical conference in Amsterdam

Heart disease was rife among affluent ancient Egyptians

"Heart disease plagued human society long before fry-ups and cigarettes came along, researchers say. The upper classes of ancient Egypt were riddled with cardiovascular disease that dramatically raised their risk of heart attacks and strokes. Doctors made the discovery after taking hospital X-ray scans of 20 Egyptian mummies that date back more than 3,500 years. The scans revealed signs of atherosclerosis, a life-threatening condition where fat and calcium build up in the arteries, clogging them and stiffening their walls. On a visit to the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo, one of the researchers had been intrigued by a nameplate on the remains of Pharaoh Merenptah, who died in 1,203BC. The plate said the pharaoh died at the age of 60 and suffered diseased arteries, arthritis and tooth decay. The US and Egyptian experts got permission to examine the mummified pharaoh and others that were on display or stored in the museum's basement...The findings were announced at a meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando and are published in the Journal of the American Medical Association - Guardian

CardioEgypt2009

CardioEgypt2009 will be held 24-28 February, 2009 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt