Landmark article, July 18, 1953: Coronary disease among United States soldiers killed in action in Korea. Preliminary report. By William F. Enos, Robert H. Holmes and James Beyer

Abstract

The coronary arteries of 300 soldiers killed in action were dissected. The average age of the men in this group was approximately 22.1 years. In 77.3% of the cases, some gross evidence of coronary disease was demonstrated that varied from "fibrous" thickening to complete occlusion of one or more of the main branches. The exact locations of the lesions were shown to be at or near points of bifurcation of the vessels. The hemodynamics of the coronary circulation as modified by the anatomic variations of the coronary arterial tree are implicated as an important factor in the formation of plaques.