ear lobe crease worries

[stocklord]

Hi, I am a 42 year old male identical twin, suffering from mild hypertension which is well controlled, mild lvh, and an earlobe crease in my left ear. My brother has none of these symptoms. I am slim,physically fit, do lots of sport, and eat a very healthy diet.
My question is
1) can earlobe creases develop benignly, or does it mean that I have advanced atherosclerosis already?
2)I get a few skipped beats a week, sometimes when I bend down, and wonder whether this should be checked out.
3)How often should I have an echo to check out the lvh?

I have a history of anxiety, which my brother does not have, and wonder whether this is the trigger for all my problems. I feel very hard done by when I look around and see noone of my age with a crease, and virtually noone of my age with hypertension, even though my lifestyle is far healthier than most.

Thanks for your help.

[nfcatlady]

A related discussion, Ear lobe crease and connection to heart disease was started.

[cin074]

A related discussion, what is it? was started.

[Littleevauk1]

Oh i have just read this article,  i also have 2 diagonal creases across both ear lobes, and now i am very worried.  I am 51(female)  smoke & drink which i know is bad for me, im under the docter for a stomach ulcer and chest and arm pains (left) which i have had chest xray and lung xrays done, all was clear ! i have had 2 heart tests  (ecg)  which also showed up as nothing there!  I get constant pain (burning) down my front chest with terrible shooting/ bruning pain down my left arm to my fingers, then my arm goes numb and i cant move it  for about 30 seconds. this has been happening for over 2 months now.   im thinking this is to do with RSI and not my heart now, but since reading about ear lobe creases i am very scared. my cholestrol level is  5.1  i think and doctors dont know whats wrong with me,  i am anxsious because of this and then get more pains, i cannot sleep at night because when i lay down or rest on my elbows etc  it happens.  please help     Worried Eve :(

[Cleveland Clinic]

stocklord,

Its a great and pretty timely question as We were just discussing this the other day. There is observational data that bilateral earlobe creases are associated with the presence of coronary disease. It is unclear why this is the case.

The finding is described as bilateral ear lobe creases.  However, the majority of patients with this finding do not have coronary disease and the finding is often benign.  

I would not change my management of a 43 year old sepcifically because of the finding of the ear crease. I would recommend aggressive risk factor control including blood pressure and cholesterol.

Repeat echocardiography in a few years would generally be my practice.

Keep up the active lifestyle and try not to let your anxiety get the best of you. You sound healthier then most of the patients I see your age in my clinic.

good luck