Atherosclerosis in 16th-Century Greenlandic Inuit Mummies.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Historical case series of archaeological human remains
PubMed 31880790 · doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.18270
What was done
This case series examined 4 Greenlandic Inuit mummies from approximately the 16th century for evidence of atherosclerosis.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data, diagnostic findings, or specific results.
Why it matters
It provides historical data regarding the presence of vascular disease in pre-industrial populations with traditional diets.
Limits
The sample size is very small (n = 4), restricted to ancient preserved remains from a single region, and the abstract completely omits methodological details and pathological findings.
Cited by
- contradicts Traditional Inuit populations, who historically had virtually no access to plant fiber and consumed exclusively meat and fat from hunted mammals, had very low rates of coronary artery disease.