Fernández Ascariz L, Rivas Mundiña B, García Mato E, Limeres Posse J, Alonso Sampedro M, González Quintela A, Gude Sampedro F, Diz Dios P. Frank's Sign and Cardiovascular Risk: An Observational Descriptive Study.
Am J Med 2024;
137:47-54. [PMID:
37832754 DOI:
10.1016/j.amjmed.2023.09.019]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE
This study was undertaken to analyze the relationship between the diagonal earlobe crease and the main indices of cardiovascular risk, considering the crease's anatomical variations.
METHODS
The study group consisted of 1050 adults residing in Spain. Participants underwent the following determinations: age, sex, body mass index, smoking habit, blood pressure, glycemia, glycated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and cardiovascular events. Cardiovascular risk was calculated applying the Framingham-Anderson equation, the Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation equation, and the Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk Score calculator. Both earlobes were examined, recording diagonal earlobe crease presence, length and depth, and presence of accessory creases. Results were analyzed by using chi-square test, Student's t test, analysis of variance, and Mann-Whitney or Kruskal-Wallis tests. To extract the functions of cardiovascular risk, a script in R was created (https://cran.r-project.org/).
RESULTS
The estimated cardiovascular mortality risk was significantly higher in individuals who presented diagonal earlobe crease (P < .001). The number of individuals with moderate, high, or very high cardiovascular risk increased significantly as the presence of the crease increased (23.8% had no crease, 35.6% had unilateral creases, and 58% had bilateral creases; P < .001). The mean cardiovascular risk estimated was significantly higher for individuals with longest and deepest diagonal earlobe crease (P < .001 and P < .001, respectively), and with accessory creases (P < .001).
CONCLUSIONS
The diagonal earlobe crease is independently associated with higher cardiovascular risk scores, especially when the crease is complete, bilateral, deep, and has accessory creases.
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