Mummies included in the study came from cultures spanning more than 4,000 years. The estimated mean age was 40 years oldyoung by modern standards, but much older for the time. The researchers highlighted what todays patients should take from these ancient samples.

This study indicates modern cardiovascular risk factorssuch as smoking, sedentary lifestyle, and poor dieton top of the underlying, inherent risk natural to the human aging process may increase the extent and impact of atherosclerosis, Thompson said. This is why it is all the more important to control the risk factors we can control.

The group also noted that it was very conservative with its estimates due to the risk that findings would be impacted by distorted tissue samples. In addition, a majority of the mummies only had a limited number of vascular beds that were able to be included in the analysis.

Even with these limitations, however, the authors believe these findings show that atherosclerosis has been prevalent for much longer than many cardiologists may realize.

Thompson has been involved in several past CT studies of ancient mummies from around the word.

Click here to read the full study in European Heart Journal, a publication of the European Society of Cardiology.

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Cardiologists ID signs of widespread heart disease in ancient mummies - Cardiovascular Business