If you have a specific crease on your earlobe, it could be a sign that you have heart disease, the biggest killer globally.
A doctor has gone viral on TikTok after making people aware of the strange phenomenon, which is called Frank’s Sign.
‘Earlobe crease’ and heart issues
“If you see this, this or this, you may wanna see your cardiologist,” Dr. Max said while showing pictures of people with a fold on their ear.
This diagonal skin fold between the tragus and the outer edge of the earlobe has been heavily associated with coronary artery disease.
“Frank’s sign is thought to be associated with microvascular or connective tissue changes that can present themselves as ear creases,” the doctor explained.
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Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease, which occurs slowly over time as a sticky substance called plaque builds up in the arteries, MedlinePlus reveals.
This plaque narrows or blocks blood flow to the heart muscle and can lead to chest pain, heart attacks, heart failure and problems with heart rate.
It can be caused by a number of different things including lifestyle habits (drinking, smoking, diet, stress and not getting enough exercise), genetics, infections, medicines, and other diseases.
More about Frank’s Sign
The phenomenon is named after Dr. Sanders T. Frank, an American physician who observed the ear crease in 20 patients with angina, a type of chest pain caused by not enough blood going to the muscles of the heart, Stanford Medicine explains.
It was first established in 1973, and since then various studies have confirmed the association between Frank’s Sign and coronary heart disease.
Most recently, a January 2023 study00615-0/fulltext) in the American Journal of Medicine examined 1050 adults living in Spain and found that cardiovascular mortality risk was significantly higher in people who presented diagonal earlobe crease.
“The diagonal earlobe crease is independently associated with higher cardiovascular risk scores, especially when the crease is complete, bilateral, deep, and has accessory creases,” it concluded.
Leading cause of death worldwide
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year, the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals.
This refers to a group of disorders affect the heart and blood vessels, including coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease and other conditions.
More than four out of five cardiovascular disease deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes, while one third of them are premature deaths in people under 70.
According to the WHO, the most important risk factors of heart disease and stroke include an unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol.
Dr. Mahyar (Max) Maddahali (MD), is a qualified medical practitioner who graduated from Marmara University in Istanbul with a degree in medical science.
