Osteoporosis among ancient Egyptians

Abstract

Osteoporosis is a condition of reduced total bone mass per unit volume for the normal ratio of bone mineral to bone matrix. The present work deals with the investigation and evaluation of osteoporosis in ancient Egyptians of two social classes from the Old Kingdom in Giza. The aims of this study are to provide information about the lifestyle and health status of ancient Egyptians, and to detect the causes of osteoporosis. The material consisted of 74 skeletons (43 males and 31 females) from two different social classes (high officials and workers). Skeletons were excavated from the Giza Necropolis and belonged to the Old Kingdom (2687-2191 BC). Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was used to measure bone mineral density (BMD) at different skeletal sites (radius, fourth lumbar vertebra and head of femur). Moreover, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to show the microarchitectural structure of the bone. Results showed a significant decrease of BMD values in old age groups compared with younger ones in both sexes. In addition, SEM of trabecular bone in osteoporotic cases demonstrated that the horizontal trabeculae were more affected than the vertical trabeculae. Comparison between high officials and workers revealed that osteoporosis was more frequent in male workers than in male high officials, and in female high officials than in female workers. An elevated prevalence of osteoporosis among male workers may be related to the effects of nutritional stress and excessive workload, while a sedentary lifestyle may have played a role in the occurrence of osteoporosis among female high officials. Moreover, osteoporosis occurs earlier and more frequently in females than males, which may be related to the hormonal changes that accompany the menopause in females. This study emphasises the importance of gender and lifestyle factors in influencing the severity of osteoporosis. Age-related bone loss at most skeletal sites is noted in both sexes of ancient Egyptians.

Entheseal changes in ancient Egyptians from the pyramid builders of Giza—Old Kingdom

“…Previous physical anthropological studies were carried out on Giza Necropolis skeletal materials to determine whether differences in skeletal remains reflect the socio‐economic division suggested by archaeological records. Analysis of dental enamel hypoplasia and growth arrest lines indicates that workers suffered more frequently from stress during growth and exhibited more developmental defects than high officials (Irish, ; Lovell & Whyte, ; Miller, ; Zaki, Hussien, & El Banna, ). Developmental defects are usually caused by poor nutrition, harsh life conditions, or extensively heavy labour, which is well explained by the socio‐economic division between the two socio‐economic classes.…”

Massa óssea cortical e fraturas de fragilidade na Coleção de Esqueletos Identificados do séc. XXI

“…Contudo, em algumas pesquisas obtiveram-se resultados semelhantes aos de populações modernas. São disso exemplo estudos como o de Mays et al (1998) na aldeia de Wharram Percy, em Inglaterra, que mostra uma perda óssea relacionada com a idade mais precoce no sexo feminino, ou o da população Egípcia de 2687-2191 a.C. (Zaki et al, 2009) que refere uma perda óssea relacionada com a idade, entre outros (Mays, 2000;Cho e Stout, 2011;Glencross e Agarwal, 2011).…”

Metabolic and Endocrine Diseases

“…The condition is divided into two groups: primary and secondary. There are important physiological factors associated with osteoporosis, including sex, family history, ethnic descent, diet (supply of Ca and Na, Vitamin D and particularly C, and amino acids) and physical activity (Zaki et al 2009). Type I osteoporosis commonly occurs in postmenopausal women and is linked to hormonal changes.…”