EARLOBE CREASE IN WOMEN - EVALUATION OF REPRODUCTIVE FACTORS, ALCOHOL-USE, AND QUETELET INDEX AND RELATION TO ATHEROSCLEROTIC DISEASE

BACKGROUND: The diagonal earlobe crease (ELC) has been found to be ass ociated with atherosclerotic heart disease. Although atherosclerotic c ardiovascular disease is less prevalent among women than among men, no studies have been reported for women on the possible relationship of reproductive factors, contraceptive and menopausal estrogen use, and a lcohol use on the expression of the ELC.SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The pres ence of ELC was determined in 625 white women who were seen as part of a breast research project. Information was obtained on age, height, w eight, age at menarche, parity, age at first full-term pregnancy, use of oral contraceptives or menopausal estrogens, alcohol consumption, a nd smoking. Statistical methods used included estimation of the age-ad justed odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals, and multiple lo gistic regression.RESULTS: No association was found between the ELC an d reproductive factors and smoking. Only age, Quetelet index, and alco hol use were associated with the ELC. The ELC was negatively associate d with alcohol use, and was more marked in women under 59 years of age . The positive association of ELC with the Quetelet index progressivel y became more marked with advancing age, especially after 60 years of age. CONCLUSION: The negative association found between the ELC and al cohol use is of interest because of the reported protective effect of moderate alcohol consumption on risk of coronary heart disease. No sig nificant association was found between the ELC and reproductive risk f actors. Based on events occurring during the embryonic development of the earlobes, a new hypothesis is proposed for the formation and pecul iar diagonal localization of the ELC in adult earlobes in association with atherosclerotic vascular disease.