TY - JOUR
T1 - Anterior Tragal Crease is Associated with Atherosclerosis
T2 - A Study Evaluating Carotid Artery Intima-Media Thickness
AU - Rerknimitr, Pawinee
AU - Pongpairoj, Korbkarn
AU - Kumtornrat, Chanat
AU - Panchaprateep, Ratchathorn
AU - Hurst, Cameron P.
AU - Chutinet, Aurauma
AU - Asawanonda, Pravit
AU - Suwanwela, Nijasri C.
N1 - Funding Information:
this work was provided by the Ratchadapiseksomphot Endowment Fund of Chulalongkorn University (Grant no RA57/052).
PY - 2017/9/1
Y1 - 2017/9/1
N2 - The utility of the ear crease sign, anterior tragal crease (ATC), as a marker of atherosclerosis is yet to be established. The intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery (IMT-CCA) has been used as a noninvasive surrogate marker for atherosclerosis. History of traditional risk factors for atherosclerosis was obtained from 147 volunteers; ear examination was also performed and venous blood was drawn for laboratory analysis. The volunteers then underwent an ultrasonography measurement of the IMT-CCA. In univariate analysis, presence of ATC, age, underlying hypertension, diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, cigarette smoking, low-density lipoprotein, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were significantly associated with the IMT-CCA. Further multivariate analysis confirmed a significant association between the presence of ATC and IMT-CCA, when adjusted for other factors (adjusted βATC =.010, 95% confidence interval: 0.0021-0.019). Anterior tragal crease is a potential clinical sign that can predict atherosclerosis. The sign is easily recognizable and may help health-care professionals to identify those at risk of atherosclerosis, especially in people with no clinical signs of the disease.
AB - The utility of the ear crease sign, anterior tragal crease (ATC), as a marker of atherosclerosis is yet to be established. The intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery (IMT-CCA) has been used as a noninvasive surrogate marker for atherosclerosis. History of traditional risk factors for atherosclerosis was obtained from 147 volunteers; ear examination was also performed and venous blood was drawn for laboratory analysis. The volunteers then underwent an ultrasonography measurement of the IMT-CCA. In univariate analysis, presence of ATC, age, underlying hypertension, diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, cigarette smoking, low-density lipoprotein, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were significantly associated with the IMT-CCA. Further multivariate analysis confirmed a significant association between the presence of ATC and IMT-CCA, when adjusted for other factors (adjusted βATC =.010, 95% confidence interval: 0.0021-0.019). Anterior tragal crease is a potential clinical sign that can predict atherosclerosis. The sign is easily recognizable and may help health-care professionals to identify those at risk of atherosclerosis, especially in people with no clinical signs of the disease.
KW - anterior tragal crease
KW - atherosclerosis
KW - common carotid artery
KW - diagonal earlobe crease
KW - ear crease
KW - intima-media thickness
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85026293121&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0003319716685481
DO - 10.1177/0003319716685481
M3 - Article
C2 - 28056529
VL - 68
SP - 683
EP - 687
JO - Angiology
JF - Angiology
SN - 0003-3197
IS - 8
ER -