Could a wrinkled forehead mean you have hidden heart disease?

Heart disease is one of Britain's biggest killers, claiming around 65,000 lives a year.

Every seven minutes, on average, someone suffers a heart attack and every 12 minutes someone has a stroke.

But scientists are uncovering some surprising ways of spotting cardiac-related illness before serious symptoms even develop.

Researchers from the University of Toulouse Hospital in France recently revealed wrinkles on the forehead could be a vital early clue to hidden heart problems.

They found men and women with furrowed brows were up to 10 times more likely to die of heart disease than those with smooth foreheads.

The study, presented at a major cardiology conference at Munich in Germany, found that over a 20-year period people with unusually deep wrinkles for their age were at much greater risk of

dying from killer clots.

Scientists said they think wrinkles may be an early warning sign because blood vessels in the forehead are so small they may be particularly sensitive to the build-up of harmful deposits,

called plaques, that cause heart disease.

But it's not just wrinkled foreheads that can give crucial clues to heart health.

Everyone occasionally kicks out in their sleep. But in some people with a condition called periodic limb movement disorder this can happen every five seconds or so throughout the night.

Sufferers repeatedly move their toes, feet and lower legs, disrupting sleep and leaving them and their partner exhausted during the day.

Now scientists at Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital in Taiwan have found these people are much more likely to have hidden heart disease.

They pooled data from six different studies and found those with jerky limbs at night were nearly 60 per cent more likely to have heart disease, according to a report in the Journal of Sleep

Research.

One theory is that the constant interruption of sleep increases blood pressure during the night, when it normally dips, and puts the heart under strain.

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An early night sounds like something that could only be good for you. But researchers have found it may be a sign of heart disease.

A 2016 study by Japanese scientists revealed adults with high blood pressure - one of the leading causes of heart attacks and strokes - go to bed on average 18 minutes earlier than those

with healthy blood pressure readings, suggesting getting tired earlier could indicate there is a problem.

The research looked at 2,400 adults aged 40 to 60 and found those with the highest blood pressure scores (usually regarded as anything over 140/90mmHg) were the first to get sleepy.

Another explanation could be that the condition disrupts the body's own internal clock, called the circadian rhythm, which makes them drowsy in the evening.

If your shoes fit you fine in the morning but you struggle to get them on in the evening, there could be a rather worrying reason.

Swollen feet are one of the signs of heart failure, a common condition where the heart struggles to pump blood around the body properly and gradually becomes weak and floppy with all the

effort.

As a result, fluid starts to accumulate in the far reaches of the body, such as the feet, because blood is not being pumped back up to the heart properly.

The swelling gets worse in the evening because of gravity and being on your feet for hours pools even more fluid in the lower leg.

Some research suggests the voice changes slightly when heart disease sets in.

An Israeli firm, Beyond Verbal, and scientists at the Mayo Clinic in the US have carried out experiments that show subtle changes in the way patients speak can be used to diagnose heart

disease before they ever notice any symptoms.

They compared 120 patients who had chest pain with 120 healthy controls and used computerised voice analysis to measure differences in pitch, tone and volume. The results showed heart

disease patients had subtle differences, possibly caused by the effect of the disease on their breathing.

Now scientists are looking to develop a smartphone app that can diagnose heart problems simply by analysing patients' voice recordings.

One of the more surprising clues to heart ailments are yellow markings on the eyelids.

Called xanthelasmata, these markings can be a warning that the patient has high cholesterol, a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.

One major study in Denmark looked at nearly 13,000 people and found around 600 had the distinctive yellow markings.

All the volunteers were followed up 30 years later and the results showed those with the discoloured eyelids were 48 per cent more likely to have had a heart attack, 39 per cent more likely

to have heart disease and 14 per cent more likely to have died.

The markings appear as clearly defined yellowish flat plaques found on the upper or lower eyelids, often near to the inner corner of the eye.

Scientists behind the findings said anyone with the markings should have a thorough heart check by their GP to measure cholesterol.

A trip to the dentist would probably be the priority for most people who discover a wobbly tooth. But some might be better off heading to the cardiology department.

Numerous studies have confirmed a strong link between gum disease and loose teeth and increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.

'feet one That's because, scientists believe the same bacteria that infect the gums also travel to blood vessels elsewhere in the body.

These bacteria set off the body's immune system, which launches a large-scale attack using infection fighting cells that flood the body.

It's this response that causes a cascade of inflammation throughout the body, including the blood vessels around the heart and brain.

This inflammation makes it more likely that a blockage can form, restricting the supply of oxygen-rich blood to major organs.

Just as wrinkles in the forehead can hint at heart problems, so can a crease in the earlobe.

Called Frank's sign, after the American medic Dr Sanders T Frank who discovered it, the crease runs diagonally across the lobe and more than 40 separate studies have found that having it

increases the chances of diseased arteries.

Some research suggests those who have the crease on one or both ears are 45 per cent more likely to experience a heart attack or stroke.

Some experts think the crease may be a sign of disease in the miniature blood vessels found in the ear lobe, pointing to much bigger problems in the larger arteries around the heart.

Doctors have known for years that a strong hand grip, especially in the elderly, is an accurate indicator of all-round good health. But a weak handshake hints at hidden illness.

One study by experts at Queen Mary University of London analysed heart scan images from almost 5,000 study participants, between the ages of 40 and 69, including people with floppy and

vice-like handshakes.

The results showed a stronger grip was associated with higher volumes of blood being pumped by the heart and healthier heart muscle. This led to a lower risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Those with weak handshakes were more likely to have enlarged, damaged hearts.

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