Prevalence of Dermatologic Features in Patients With Ischemic Heart Disease

Background: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is among the most important and top ranked causes of death in the world. An early and accurate diagnosis of IHD is necessary to improve outcomes. Objectives: We assessed the prevalence of dermatologic signs associate with the risk of ischemic heart disease among the hospitalized IHD patients. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytic and cross-sectional study was conducted on IHD patients during 6 months in Kamkar Hospital in Qom and Shaheed Beheshti Hospital in Kashan. Participants were assessed for the presence of male pattern baldness, hair graying, diagonal earlobe crease (DELC), and xanthoma. Results: A total of 366 patients with IHD (52.5% male and 47.5% female) with a mean age of 58.5 ± 7.5 years were evaluated. IHD was more prevalent between people 60-69 years old. Prevalence and occurrence of alopecia, hair whitening, DELC, and xanthoma were 79.2%, 78.7%, 34.1%, and 18.6%, respectively. Hyperlipidemia was seen in 70.5% of individuals with xanthoma. Alopecia was more prevalent in subjects with family history of baldness (P < 0.0001). Family history of hair whitening had a significant effect on its prevalence (P < 0.0001). Bilateral DELC was more prevalent than unilateral one (22.4% vs 12.5%). Conclusions: Male pattern baldness, hair graying, xanthoma, and earlobe crease are associated with increased risk of ischemic heart disease. These dermatologic signs can be considered as CVD risk factors for screening.