The study of papyrus writings and of mummified human remains provides an insight into the diseases and the practice of medicine in ancient times. Paleopathology, developed in the latter part of the last century and now incorporating modern technology and diagnostic techniques, has shown that arterial disease was not uncommon and that the arterial lesions of 3000 years ago were no different from those we see today.
People know about coronary occlusions and strokes, and cholesterol has become a household word.
In the press there are articles, almost daily, about diets, vitamins, forms of alternative medicine, the dangers of smoking and the advantages and disadvantages of consuming alcohol. Healthfood shops abound. The stresses of modern living have been implicated in arterial disease. While once senior executives worried about developing ulcers, now the concern is about coronary vessels and blood cholesterol. While we cannot be certain that the stresses we are subject to in our time are any greater than the stresses on primitive peoples and those who belonged to ancient civilisations, we do know they are different.