http://www.ajconline.org/article/S0002-9149%2817%2930353-3/fulltext?rss=yes
Nozomu Oda, MD
, ,
Shinji Kishimoto, MD
,
Masato Kajikawa, MD
,
Yumiko Iwamoto, MD
,
Akimichi Iwamoto, MD
,
Shogo Matsui, MD
,
Takayuki Hidaka, MD
,
Yasuki Kihara, MD
,
Kazuaki Chayama, MD
,
Chikara Goto, PhD
,
Yoshiki Aibara, MS
,
Ayumu Nakashima, MD
,
Kensuke Noma, MD
,
Harutoyo Hirano, PhD
, Abstract
The
presence of an earlobe crease (ELC) may be a simple sign to predict
atherosclerosis. We evaluated the relationship between ELC and vascular
function. We measured flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) and
nitroglycerine-induced vasodilation (NID) and observed bilateral
earlobes in 400 consecutive subjects. At first, the subjects were
divided into 3 groups: non-ELC group, unilateral ELC group and bilateral
ELC group. FMD and NID were significantly lower in the unilateral and
bilateral ELC groups than in the non-ELC group. After adjustment of
cardiovascular risk factors, bilateral ELC, but not unilateral ELC, was
associated with lower FMD and lower NID. We also investigated whether an
increase in the number of ELCs worsens endothelial function, whether
the difference in ELC structure (cross stripes and/or ramification)
affects endothelial function, and whether endothelial function is
impaired in subjects with superficial wrinkles depending on age. Number
of ELCs, shape of the ELC, and superficial wrinkles were not associated
with endothelial dysfunction. In conclusion, these findings suggest that
the presence of bilateral ELCs is associated with vascular dysfunction.
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