There are times when researchers uncover interesting collateral information when trying to find answers to the most puzzling health questions. In recent years, many of these unusual findings have been linked to a person’s risk of developing heart disease.

Earlobe folds

It sounds implausible and a bit of fun, but more than two dozen scientific studies conducted over the past few decades have examined the relationship between earlobe folds and an increased risk of heart disease. Perhaps the best-known of these studies was published in 1991. Researchers at the University of Chicago followed more than 100 subjects for 10 years and found that people with a diagonal earlobe crease had markedly higher cases of heart disease. or death from heart-related conditions than those without such a fold. The Chicago researchers were not alone in their findings.

Swedish researchers performed more than 500 autopsies on victims of cardiac arrest or heart disease and found that earlobe folds were a “positive predictive value” for more than 68 percent of the subjects they examined. More than 80 percent of his subjects under the age of 40 who had succumbed to coronary artery disease had earlobe folds. A Turkish study determined that the crease of the earlobe was a more serious risk factor for heart disease than family history, diabetes or even smoking. At the Montreal Heart Institute, researchers reviewed the cases of nearly 350 admitted patients. Of those, 91 percent of the patients with earlobe folds had heart disease compared to only 61 percent of those without folds. Irish scientists studied nearly 250 patients and found that earlobe folds were indicative of heart disease in more than 71 percent of the participants.

All of this research seems to support what statisticians call low sensitivity and high specificity. This means that people without earlobe folds are not necessarily immune to heart disease, but people with earlobe folds are much more likely to have a cardiovascular disorder at some point in their lives. Although this evidence appears to present a strong case for the relationship between earlobe folds and cardiovascular disease, it is essential to note that many similar studies have found no such connection. There is currently no medical consensus on whether earlobe folds are a significant indicator of heart disease or an individual’s predisposition to it. Most experts believe that wrinkles simply increase with age, as does the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

However, earlobe folds are certainly not the only alleged unusual risk factors for heart disease.

Leg length

In 2004, British researchers from the University of Bristol announced that they had found evidence to support a relationship between a woman’s leg length and her risk of developing heart disease. Among the 4,000 participants, those with the shortest legs had the highest risk of developing heart problems. For every four centimeters over a specific reference leg length, the risk decreased by 16 percent. Leg length remained a strong indicator of risk even after more traditional causes of heart disease were taken into account, such as high cholesterol, weight, age, tobacco use, and poor lung function.

Ring finger length

Researchers at the University of Liverpool in the UK found that men with short ring fingers had lower levels of testosterone, which increased their risk of having an early heart attack. The Liverpool study measured the participants’ index and ring fingers and then divided the lengths. In subjects with a measurement ratio greater than 1.0, testosterone levels were found to be significantly lower than in those subjects whose measurements fell by a lower measurement ratio. Low testosterone levels have been linked to higher cases of early heart attack.

Male pattern baldness

In a study of more than 22,000 male physicians conducted over the course of 11 years, researchers found that participants with frontal baldness were nearly 10 percent more likely to develop heart disease than their non-bald counterparts, while subjects with most hair loss or baldness of the crown were 23 to almost 40 percent more likely to have heart disease. A 2007 study by researchers at the University of Arizona confirmed that baldness does indeed increase the risk of heart disease, but ultimately concluded that hair loss alone was not a reliable indicator of risk.

Bad breath

Halitosis is just one of the side effects caused by advanced gum disease, and studies have shown that people with this condition produce antibodies that increase their risk of heart disease by up to 100 percent. In fact, one study even reported that treating gum disease could reverse the thickening of the carotid arteries.

Clear skin

Generally thought to be a positive trait, a British study found that fair skin could be a life-threatening condition. Of the 11,000 men who participated in the study, those with teenage acne were 30 percent less likely to die of cardiovascular or heart disease in middle age and beyond.

Discolored mucus

A study published recently in the Biochemical Journal has suggested that there is a connection between cardiovascular disease and green-tinged mucus. The discoloration is caused by an enzyme in the body called myeloperoxidase, which fights bacteria by producing an acid that can damage tissues and lead to asthma, arthritis, and thickening of the artery walls.

Earwax

There are two different types of earwax: dry and wet. Individuals produce only one type or another throughout their lives, and the type of earwax appears to be an inherited trait. A 1966 Japanese study found that people who produced dry earwax had a higher risk of arterial thickening than those who produced wet earwax. No other study since then has confirmed these findings; a subsequent peer review, in fact, concluded that the results should be viewed with suspicion. However, when all other strange indicators of heart disease are considered, certainly the type of earwax that an individual produces is no stranger than any other potential risk factor.

Cardiovascular disease is a serious and life-threatening condition that should never be taken lightly. However, these unusual risk factors can surely add some lightness to the conversation.