People who have more deep forehead wrinkles than usual could be more prone to cardiovascular disease
People who have more deep forehead wrinkles than usual could be more prone to cardiovascular disease
A study has revealed that a key indicator of potential heart problems could be visible on the forehead. Researchers have suggested that individuals with more deep-set forehead wrinkles than is typical for their age may be at an increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease (CVD).
While they acknowledged that forehead furrows are not a superior method of assessing cardiovascular risk compared to existing methods such as blood pressure and lipid profiles, they could serve as an early warning sign that can be identified with a simple glance and at no cost. The research was presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Munich, Germany, in 2019.
Although the study did not definitively establish the reason for this correlation, it speculated that it could be related to atherosclerosis, or the hardening of the arteries due to plaque build-up. Atherosclerosis significantly contributes to heart attacks and other cardiovascular events. Changes in collagen protein and oxidative stress appear to play a role in both atherosclerosis and wrinkles.
Furthermore, the blood vessels in the forehead are so small that they may be more susceptible to plaque build-up, suggesting that wrinkles could be one of the early signs of vessel ageing, reports Surrey Live.
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The study examined a group of 3,200 healthy working adults who were aged 32, 42, 52 and 62 at the start. They were assessed by physicians who assigned scores based on the number and depth of wrinkles on their foreheads.
A score of zero meant no wrinkles while a score of three signified "numerous deep wrinkles". Over the course of 20 years, the participants were monitored, during which time 233 died from various causes.
Of these, 15.2% had score two and three wrinkles, 6.6% had score one wrinkles and 2.1% had no wrinkles.
The researchers discovered that individuals with a wrinkle score of one had a slightly elevated risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared to those without wrinkles. Those with wrinkle scores of two and three had almost a tenfold increased risk of death compared to those with a wrinkle score of zero, after accounting for factors such as age, gender, education, smoking status, blood pressure, heart rate, diabetes and lipid levels.
Yolande Esquirol, the study's author and associate professor of occupational health at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse in France, stated: "The higher your wrinkle score, the more your cardiovascular mortality risk increases."
"You can't see or feel risk factors like high cholesterol or hypertension. We explored forehead wrinkles as a marker because it's so simple and visual. Just looking at a person's face could sound an alarm, then we could give advice to lower risk."
She suggested that this advice could include simple lifestyle modifications such as increasing physical activity or improving diet. The risk of heart disease rises with age, but lifestyle changes and medical interventions can help reduce this risk.
The challenge lies in identifying high-risk patients early enough to make a difference.
Dr Esquirol stated: "Of course, if you have a person with a potential cardiovascular risk, you have to check classical risk factors like blood pressure as well as lipid and blood glucose levels, but you could already share some recommendations on lifestyle factors."
"This is the first time a link has been established between cardiovascular risk and forehead wrinkles so the findings do need to be confirmed in future studies, but the practice could be used now in physicians' offices and clinics."
"It doesn't cost anything and there is no risk."
Earlier studies have explored various visible ageing signs to determine their potential to predict heart disease. Links were found between male-pattern baldness, earlobe creases, xanthelasma (cholesterol pockets beneath the skin) and an elevated heart disease risk, but not with an increased likelihood of death.
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