Heart health is a huge problem in the UK, with cardiovascular disease accounting for around a quarter of all deaths every year. This includes conditions and diseases such as coronary heart disease, heart failure and strokes.
And according to the British Heart Foundation, around 7.6 million people in the UK are currently living with cardiovascular disease, with this number expected to rise.
If not caught early and treated, cardiovascular disease can prove fatal. Therefore, spotting any warning signs is vital.
Some of the signs of heart disease are fairly well known, such as chest pain. However, others are less so. According to one expert there are some more unexpected symptoms that could show up on the skin.
Dermatologist Dr Dustin Portela took to TikTok to warn of some all important “clues”.
Speaking to his more than two million followers, he said: “Do you know that dermatologists are trained to look for clues on the skin to tell you if you have heart disease?
“Dermatologists are trained to look for the signs of internal disease that come out on your skin. Here’s a few that might signal a risk or heart disease.”
The three signs to be wary of are:
- Swelling of the legs
- Clubbed fingers
- Frank’s sign (a diagonal crease on the earlobe).
Dustin explained: “First up is swelling of the legs, particularly bilateral oedema.”
Bilateral oedema means the swelling is affecting both limbs, such as both legs rather than just one.
“When you have swelling of the legs, it could be a sign of heart failure,” he said.
According to the Mayo Clinic this occurs when the heart’s lower chamber stop pumping blood as well.
The blood can “back up” in the legs, ankles and feet leading to oedema.
Dustin continued: “Next is called clubbing, a downward curve of the nail, while the fingertip gets swollen.
“This could be a sign of heart disease, of a heart infection or of lung disease.”
If you are suffering from clubbing the nails may feel soft and sponge-like, and warm to the touch.
The Cleveland Clinic describes the nails as having a “rounded, bulging shape, giving the appearance of an upside-down spoon”.
They might also look red and widen and wrap around the sides of your fingertips.
Dustin added: “And lastly it is something called Frank’s sign, which is a diagonal crease in the earlobe that can be an indicator of heart disease.”
However, he added: “But further studies have shown, is probably not that highly correlated and it’s more just to do with age.”
A case study published in the BMJ said that research has shown a “significant association” of Frank’s sign with increased risks of ischaemic heart disease and heart attacks.