Is it true that ear folds can detect the risk of heart disease?

Medical Video: Predict Risk for Heart Disease

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.