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Morbid obesity and hypersomnolence in several members of an ancient royal family
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  1. A Michalopoulos1,
  2. G Tzelepis2,
  3. S Geroulanos3
  1. 1Henry Dunant Hospital, Athens, Greece
  2. 2Wayne State University Detroit, MI, USA
  3. 3Onassis Cardiac Center and University of Ioannina, Greece
  1. Correspondence to:
    Dr A Michalopoulos, Henry Dunant Hospital, Athens, Greece;
    amichalopoulos{at}hol.gr

https://doi.org/10.1136/thorax.58.3.281-b

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    Recent studies have described an inherited basis for the sleep apnoea syndrome, as suggested by reports of families with multiple affected members.1 We present evidence indicating that several members of the Ptolemys, the royal family that ruled Egypt from 305 to 30 BC, suffered from obesity and sleep disordered breathing. Most of the information was reported by the Greek philosopher and historian Athenaeos (170–230 BC).

    The family‘s pedigree with all affected members (shaded) is shown in fig 1. Magas I (case 1) was morbidly obese. Athenaeos reported that Magas “was weighted down with monstrous masses of flesh in his last …

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