Subtle change to the EARLOBE that shows you may be at risk of a heart attack or stroke

A subtle but visible change in the skin of the earlobe is a sign of heart disease — indicating a person is at risk of a heart attack or stroke, research shows. President George W Bush was diagnosed with cardiovascular disease in 2013 despite being a keen runner and mountain biker Doctors may examine the earlobes of patients with suspected heart troubles for a diagonal crease that extends backward across the lobe at a 45 degree angle. Oscar-winning film director Steven Spielberg is also cited in a number of medical journals as having a visible DELC, although he has never publicly said he has heart disease. The reason people with heart disease might develop the crease isn't fully understood however it could be due to changes in the tiny blood vessels that supply the ears. Actor James Gandolfini, who played Tony Soprano in the long-running HBO series The Sopranos, died of a heart attack in 2013, also appears to have a DELC The phenomenon was first described in 1973 by lung specialist Saunders T. Frank —hence the name — who noted the diagonal line in patients with angina chest pain Oscar-winning film director Steven Spielberg is also cited in a number of medical journals as having a visible DELC, although he has never publicly said he has heart disease Japanese and Chinese men do not seem to develop DELC, research has shown.