From mummies to internal mammaries: A historical perspective on the discovery of atherosclerosis.

Authors

Vincent Q Sier, Ferdi Akca, Paul T Sergeant, Jan M De Raet, Andrew J Nelson, Paul H A Quax, Niels Verberkmoes, Alan Dardik, Margreet R de Vries

Published in

Vascular biology (Bristol, England). Jul 07, 2026. Epub Jul 07, 2026.

Abstract

To explore the historical evolution of atherosclerosis, from early understanding of the function of the heart and blood vessels to the discovery of arterial occlusive disease.
This narrative review draws on historical medical texts, archaeological findings and recent literature. It synthesizes developments in cardiovascular understanding across ancient, classical, and modern eras, with attention to changing paradigms.
Evidence of atherosclerosis has been observed in mummified remains from ancient civilizations, predating any formal understanding of the cardiovascular system. In classical antiquity, the heart and vessels were often assigned symbolic or spiritual meaning, gradually giving way to empirical inquiry and anatomical study. Eventually, atherosclerosis came to be recognized as a multifactorial disease with significant clinical consequences.
The understanding of atherosclerosis has evolved through centuries of speculation, anatomical discovery and technological innovation. These perspectives provide a non-exhaustive overview of historical concepts of the cardiovascular system and atherosclerosis in particular.

PMID:
42447051
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 15 Jul 2026.

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