Abstract
Objectives
The association between diagonal ear lobe crease (DELC) and cardiovascular disease was first suggested in 1973 although some studies have attributed this to confounding cardiovascular factors. This review looked to see if there is a significant association between the presence of a DELC and angiography-confirmed coronary artery disease (CAD) independent of other risk factors.
Design
Systematic review and meta-analysis of selected studies using the PRISMA checklist.
Setting
12 different hospitals with angiography in eight different countries
Participants
4960 adult patients undergoing coronary angiography.
Main Outcome Measures
Results
12 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Findings from our study suggest:
Conclusions
We found that DELC is associated with CAD independently of other known cardiovascular risk factors including age. Histology studies indicate that atherosclerosis is causing DELC and patients with DELC appear to have an increased risk of CAD. It has insufficient sensitivity or specificity to be used as a diagnostic test but should be used as a valuable risk marker to be aware of whilst examining ears.