Study: Could a Yellow Patch Above Your Eyelid Indicate Risk for Heart Attack?
- Posted on September 17, 2011 at 7:04am by
Liz Klimas
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Yellow patches above or around the eyelid, which are relatively common among older people, have long been recognized as a sign of cholesterol. But now, researchers are saying that xanthelasmata may be an indicator for risk of heart attack.
In fact, of those with the raised patches studied over 33 years, nearly 50 percent were found to be more likely to suffer a heart attack.
BBC has more on the study out of Denmark:
The research team at the Herlev Hospital in Denmark started following 12,745 people in the 1970s.
At the start of the study, 4.4% of patients had xanthelasmata.
Thirty three years later, 1,872 had had a heart attack, 3,699 had developed heart disease and 8,507 had died – and the data showed that those with the yellow markings around the eyes were at greatest risk.
Those with the markings were 48% more likely to have a heart attack, 39% more likely to have developed heart disease and 14% more likely to have died during the study.
According to the National Institute of Health, xanthoma is a skin condition in which certain fats build up under the surface of the skin. They can appear all over the body, not just around the eye.
The study, led by Anne Tybjaerg-Hansen at the University of Copenhagen, found that those with xanthelasmata were likely to deposit cholesterol around the body and have a one-in-five chance of developing heart disease. The authors note that most people see a dermatologist to cosmetically remove the xanthelasmata but are concerned they’re unaware of the implications of the patch:
“Some of these people may not have been managed according to their increased risk of cardiovascular disease.”
The study also found that white or grey rings around the eye’s cornea (arcus corneae) are not linked to an increased risk.
This story has been updated for clarity.
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MUDFLAPS
Posted on September 18, 2011 at 11:36amit could if you have one and have a heart attack and disregard those who have the yellow patch and dont have a heart attack.
Report Post »jcizarter
Posted on September 18, 2011 at 9:33amI drink coffee everyday. But it is usually a diet in sugar and carbs that causes a build up of lipids and LDL. Do some reading on the newest research by cardiologists. They had a panel on the Charlie Rose show last year, they discovered that high cholesterol numbers (set by the drug companies to sell more drugs) have nothing to do with heart trouble. But if you don’t study, you won’t hear this from your doctor for 10 more years. Keep taking your statins and die.
Report Post »anotherGlen
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 9:58pmJust in…..Scientists have just concluded after a 5 year, 120 million dollar government sponsored study that eventually everyone dies. However, they have asked for additional funding to study the issue farther, as these scientist are actually worthless college students on the life plan and will never hold a real job.
Report Post »otmonger
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 5:23pmDid you know that dieing from a hart attack is a sure sign you will die of a hart attack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »motherof18
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 2:35pmI have those yellow patches on my ******, should I be worried?
Report Post »ohiochili
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 4:32pmOnly if they start talking to you.
Report Post »Waterlyly
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 1:18pmThe picture does not show a yellow patch above the eye but one under the eye. So which is it? Above the eye or below?
Report Post »jcizarter
Posted on September 18, 2011 at 9:17amTo answer that question, Obama is giving them another 1/2 billion $ to do a study on “below the eye yellow patches” and what they could mean ! I think you need to stop asking questions like this, it is costing us lots of money, (Just Kidding!)
Report Post »GKS
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 12:53pmI was surprised to learn that unfiltered coffee, i.e. Espresso, French Press, and Turkish, are extremely bad for cholesterol buildup since the fatty oils in the coffee are not absorbed by the paper filter. Otherwise filtered coffee does not appear to be a problem affecting cholesterol. Xanthelamas are unattractive but even expensive dermatological removal does not guarantee that they will not reoccur.
Report Post »hi
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 12:07pmI don’t see anything above his eyelid.
Report Post »Marcia
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 12:18pmEveryone that eats carrots eventually die, too! Does that mean that carrots cause death?
Report Post »DanWesson455
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 12:03pmWTH? 50% of yellow patches have heart attacks? how many folks out of 300,000,000 have Heart attacks? What is that percentage? Greater than 30%? of us. So if you have yellow it is 50 – 50 that you might? Is that a raw deal? I dunno?
Report Post »Rayblue
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 12:02pmThe black conveniently covers up any other color around my eyes.
Report Post »db321
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 12:00pmNo – I think that patch over her eye is a sign of Leprosy – OMG what is that?
Report Post »christos
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 11:42am……Yes liver overload next compromised immune system =system overload—diet connection——processed food likely……Dr. Colbert has written great books on these subjects,Amanda Mc Quade Crawford is also an expert on this her show is called “What A Relief” on the Veria channel
Report Post »Midwest Blonde
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 11:32amSomething isn’t adding up. The ONLY way to make sense of the numbers is if those that had heart disease, some were counted in the heart attack group, and some of both heart disease and heart attacks were in the dead group. (The total number = 14,078, not 12,475)
If only 4.4% of the group had the yellow patches, was 560. How many more developed the yellow patches? How many with heart disease or heart attack had the patches? How did the over 8K die because I’m positive that 3/4 of the group DID NOT died of heard disease.
PS. The full article doesn’t clear up any of my questions either. I guess I’ll have to look for more a more detailed article.
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 11:08aman old George Carlin news routine once said small amounts of saliva swallowed over long periods of time causes cancer. we laughed then…. but medical stuff like this’ll probably be something obama will try to regulate us on next now.
Report Post »YepImaConservative
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 10:31amYou can identify a Liberal by the streak of yellow down their neck and back.
Report Post »Inquiringminds
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 11:00amHahaaaaaa that’s perfect!
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 11:06amthank you, yours is the first comment of the day we scrolled to… it gave us our first ”YEAH!” laugh of a dreary day!!
Report Post »YepImaConservative
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 3:39pmLol, YW!
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 9:18am.
No but that throbing vein protruding from my forehead may indacate the stroke I’m fixing to have.
We just got screwed for $300k, and the guy who did it is gonna get away with it. The old story of a Dream home gone wrong. When we questioned the builder about where our money was going, and about the quaility of his work, he walked. Called the bank one of the big ones with a shiny rock as it’s president. Oh did I mention they took $25 Billion in bailout money? When we asked for help, the bank said we cannot help you. You take $25 Billion of our tax dollars and when we ask for help over $300k you turn your back, but yet you want me to pay you back.Turned to local law enforcement, but in Texas the now defunct TRCC protect’s builders, making it impossible for us to recover. Called Texas State Sen. Mike Jackson and Con. Randy Webber, it’s been 3yrs I have never talked to either one of these men. If you live in Texas in their districts vote for a dead dog. This should not happen to anyone else……..
So we are going to lose everything, I pray I don’t lose my wife of 22yrs. I believe it was their plan from the beginning to drag this out and bleed us slowly to death. Cause like a worker from that bailed out bank said to my wife “we have plenty of laywers”. And like I told my laywer “I’m supposed to trust a system that let the guy who beat my grandson over a french fry go free”.
I don’t think honest people can win anymore…….. Please pray for us……..
Report Post »jcizarter
Posted on September 18, 2011 at 10:26am@ SPANKDAMONKEY
So sorry to hear about your troubles. I was trying to get my builder to fix things up around the house that he built for me and Rick Perry dissolved the TRCC during my fight with the builder.
Report Post »It would have been nice to have finished the cases they were working on for the tax payers of Texas and then dissolved it. To stop mid case was stupid and dangerous.
SamIamTwo
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 7:55amIs coffee ok to drink or not? Back and forth, back and forth. Get a health care maintenance check up and keep your cholesterol in check. Simple to do. And then no one will be able to pick you out in a crowd. LOL
Report Post »decendentof56
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 8:12amOh, the burden that risk-aversion people carry.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 8:49amOld story coffee is good/bad, chocolate is good/bad, all stuff is good/bad, soon enough they will decide that being alive is good/bad for your health. Round and round they go.
Report Post »jungle J
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 10:43amall things in moderation.
Report Post »loriann12
Posted on September 17, 2011 at 11:02amMy cardiologist told me I did not have to cut out coffee. It only affects my blood pressure immediately after drinking it. Although I don’t have proof for even that, as my oncologist has coffee available and that‘s the only time I’ve drank it right before getting the pressure taken. Was it the coffee, or worrying about seeing the oncologist?
Report Post »Countrygirl1362
Posted on September 18, 2011 at 10:03amYou are going to die if you drink coffee or not. No one is getting out of life alive.
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