You are at high risk of
heart disease if you are overweight or smoking. But what does your earlobe say
about heart disease?
If the ear that is
considered "normal" usually looks smooth, there are some people who
have pleats with curves that look like wrinkles or folds as if splitting the
ear hole into. An open letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine
in 1973 reported that the diagonal fold of the earlobe (called ELC) was an
indicator of potential coronary artery disease (CAD). This fold is then called
"Frank's sign," because the author of the letter is Dr. Sanders T.
Frank.
Does a small sign in your
ear have a connection with heart disease?
How can ear folds show heart disease?
Scientists are not yet
sure how these two things can be interconnected, but there are several
theories. Degeneration of elastic tissue around small blood vessels that
carries blood to the ear will result in folds in the earlobe.
This shows the same type
of changes in blood vessels associated with CAD. In other words, changes seen
in the small blood vessels in the ear indicate the same changes in blood
vessels around the heart that are not visible.
Rare disorders such as
Beckwith-Wiedemann's syndrome, impaired overgrowth in children, or genetic
factors such as race and ear leaf shape can also cause these folds.
So what should you do if
you have ear folds?
Research that justifies the risk of heart disease in owners of ear folds
Some scientists see a
potential connection between earfold folds and CAD. Some studies show a
correlation, while others do not.
A study involving 340
patients and published in 1982 found that earlobe folds were a sign associated
with aging and CAD.
These folds indicate a
form of severe heart disease in those who show symptoms.
Ear folds, according to
the researchers, "can identify patients who are prone to premature aging
and early development of coronary artery disease, which is predicted to be
cured through early preventative measures".
Another study published
in 1989 studied the body of 300 patients who died of various causes.
In this study, diagonal
folds in the auricle were associated with cardiovascular causes of death. The
researchers wrote, "We found a strong association between ear folds and
causes of cardiovascular death in men and women after control of age, height,
and diabetes".
A study in 1991 found the
same results.
The same was found in a
study published in 2006 which reported that ear folds in people aged less than
40 years were a CAD sign in 80% of cases.
In a study in 2012, as
many as 430 patients who did not have CAD history were examined for folds of
their ears and then underwent a CT scan to find out CAD. As a result, those who
have ear folds tend to develop CAD.
Opposing research
Other research shows
different results. A study in 1980 showed no significant relationship between
ELC and CAD in Indian ancestry.
This shows that
"Frank signs" might not show the same correlation in other ethnic
groups.
Other studies of Japanese
descent also found no correlation. Research has shown that these signs may not
be very visible in people at risk for CAD, especially diabetes.
Some studies suggest that
as human aging, the number of pleats and heart disease will both increase -
especially after reaching the age of 50 and above.
This does not mean
anything to do with anything else. A study conducted by the University of Massachusetts
Media School concluded that earfold folds were a simple feature of the human
aging process.
Then what does the ear fold mean?
Some studies have now
formed a connection between earlobe folds and heart disease, that in fact this
is quite serious.
A review of a NYU Medical
School student in 2011 concluded that ELC can provide predictions of CAD more
frequently than traditional risk factors and it may be useful to identify
patients with heart disease.
Check with your doctor
first.
Doctors will usually test
blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and other risk factors. Taking into account
everything — including your ears — will create a clear picture of the overall
risk and help determine what steps can be taken to protect your heart health.
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