Under Wraps

For over a century, heart disease has reigned as the leading cause of death in the United States. We often blame modern lifestyles — fast food, stress, and lack of exercise — but what if heart disease has always been with us? As we mark American Heart Month this February, let’s take a journey back in time to uncover the startling truth hidden in ancient tombs.

Older Than the Pyramids
Our story begins in ancient Egypt, where Lady Rai, a nursemaid to Queen Ahmose Nefertari, lived around 1530 BC. As a caretaker to royalty, she was part of Egypt’s elite, living a life of privilege. Discovered in 1881 and later unwrapped in 1909, Lady Rai’s mummy was a marvel — so perfectly embalmed that one researcher called her “the least unlovely” of all female mummies.

But beneath her carefully preserved wrappings lay a shocking revelation. In 2009, a team of international scientists named the Horus Group, performed CT scans on 22 Egyptian mummies, including Lady Rai. What they found shattered a long-held belief: heart disease isn’t just a modern plague. Lady Rai, who lived thousands of years before the invention of processed food and environmental toxins, had clear signs of atherosclerosis — her arteries were hardened with plaque. And she wasn’t alone. Of the 16 mummies whose hearts or arteries were intact enough to study, nine had evidence of the same disease.

Anything But Modern
For decades, we’ve been told that heart disease is the price we pay for modern living — too much fat, too little movement, and too much stress. But how do we explain hardened arteries in people who lived long before the industrialized world? The elite of ancient Egypt, who had access to rich foods like meat and dairy, may have been more at risk, but they didn’t have the ultra-processed diets we see today. Could genetics play a bigger role than we thought? Was inflammation a silent killer even back then?

The evidence suggests that heart disease isn’t just a consequence of modern excess — it’s been lurking in human bodies for centuries.

The Search for a Disease-Free Civilization
Since that groundbreaking study, the Horus Group has expanded its work, scanning nearly 240 mummies from cultures around the world. The results? The same telltale signs of atherosclerosis appeared in ancient South Americans, early Chinese civilizations, and indigenous tribes — regardless of diet, lifestyle, or geography.

The conclusion is as unsettling as it is fascinating: no human civilization, past or present, has been immune to heart disease. The hunt for a culture free from arterial plaque continues, but so far, the results suggest that our battle with heart disease isn’t just modern — it’s part of the human condition.

Looking Forward: Cracking the Code of Chronic Disease
If atherosclerosis has been with us for thousands of years, what does that mean for today? Instead of seeing heart disease as just a modern-day consequence of poor lifestyle choices, researchers are digging deeper into what truly drives chronic illness. Could aging itself be the biggest culprit? Is heart disease simply woven into the fabric of being human?

By studying ancient cases, scientists are uncovering new clues — not just about heart disease, but about the ways our bodies change over time. The past may hold the key to reshaping the future of medicine, helping us find better ways to prevent and treat the conditions that have followed us through the centuries.

History tells us that heart disease is nothing new, but modern science is determined to change how the story ends.

Happy reading,

Enjoy the weekend!

Best,
Suzanne
Suzanne Daniels, Ph.D.
AEPC President
P.O. Box 1416
Birmingham, MI 48012
Office: (248) 792-2187
Email: [email protected]

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