Looking old reveals heart disease risk

Posted on Mon, 26 Nov 12

Telltale signs of aging may indicate you have a higher risk for heart attack according to a new study.

“The visible signs of aging reflect physiologic or biological age, not chronological age, and are independent of chronological age,” said Anne Tybjaerg-Hansen, M.D., lead author of the new study.

Four aging signs - receding hairline at the temples, baldness at the head’s crown, earlobe crease, or yellow fatty deposits around the eyelid (xanthelasmata) - were associated with a 57% increased risk for heart attack and a 39% percent increased risk for heart disease in a study involving over 10,000 participants.

Each of these signs individually predicted heart attack and heart disease independent of traditional risk factors and risk increased with each additional sign. Of all the signs yellow fatty deposits around the eyelid, which are associated with high blood cholesterol, were the strongest predictor.

“Checking these visible aging signs should be a routine part of every doctor’s physical examination,” Dr Tybjaerg-Hansen said.

Reference:

American Heart Association. Telltale visible signs of aging may predict heart disease. November 06, 2012