Can an earlobe crease predict a heart attack?
The possible association between earlobe creases and coronary artery disease captured attention when a study by Dr. William Elliott was published in The American Journal of Medicine 30 years ago. Results of his study indicated that 95% of people with risk factors for coronary artery disease also had diagonally creased earlobes.
So, why would the earlobe indicate arterial disease? The earlobe is richly vascularized, and a decrease in blood flow over an extended period of time is believed to result in collapse of the vascular bed. This can then lead to a diagonal crease.
Beyond earlobe creases, you should be knowledgeable of all your risk factors that may contribute to heart disease. If you have been evaluated and told that your cholesterol and blood pressure are normal, you may get a false sense of security, when in reality, you may be on the very brink of a heart attack or stroke.
Considering heart disease is the Num-ber One killer in America, I recommend bloodwork which provides a comprehensive risk assessment of cardiovascular disease which goes far beyond lipids to include markers of nutrition, oxidative damage, inflammation, and hormone imbalances. Many of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease can be reduced or eliminated with proper metabolic and nutritional therapies.