{"id":133593,"date":"2025-09-05T01:28:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T01:28:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/133593\/"},"modified":"2025-09-05T01:28:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T01:28:09","slug":"the-unexpected-skin-change-thats-linked-to-heart-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/133593\/","title":{"rendered":"The Unexpected Skin Change That\u2019s Linked to Heart Disease"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s be real: When it comes to detecting heart disease risk<\/a>, you probably aren\u2019t checking your skin first. And why would you? Skin health and heart health are unrelated, right?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Not quite, doctors say. \u201cYour skin is the largest organ in the body, which is a reflection of your systemic wellness,\u201d explains Dr. Karuppiah \u201cKar\u201d Arunachalam, MD<\/a>, a board-certified cardiovascular disease specialist with the Orlando Heart Health and Vascular Institute.<\/p>\n

Ahead, he and a dermatologist share the specific tie between a particular skin change<\/a> and how it could signal heart disease.<\/p>\n

\ud83e\ude7a<\/a>SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week<\/a>\ud83d\udc8a<\/a><\/p>\n

This Surprising Skin Change May Signal Heart Disease<\/p>\n

One way in which your skin and your heart health are connected is that your skin can have \u201cdeposits\u201d called \u201cxanthomas,\u201d which look like yellowish to orangish skin bumps. They can be a sign of high cholesterol, which can increase the risk of heart disease.<\/p>\n

In fact, cholesterol levels are a major risk factor for heart disease, though a simple blood test is gaining popularity as the key predictor<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cHigh cholesterol or high LDL (bad) cholesterol or high triglycerides directly increases your risk of heart disease because high levels of these can lead to a buildup of fatty deposits called plaque on artery walls<\/a>, a process known as atherosclerosis,\u201d explains Dr. Angela Moore, MD<\/a>, a dermatologist and the associate professor of clinical sciences at Burnett School of Medicine at TCU. \u201cThis plaque narrows and hardens arteries, restricting blood flow to the heart and increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke<\/a>.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Related: High Cholesterol Isn\u2019t Always a Sign for Alarm\u2014Here\u2019s Why, According to Cardiologists<\/a><\/p>\n

But back to xanthomas. \u201cXanthomas are associated with familial hyperlipidemia (genetically related to high cholesterol levels in the blood),\u201d Dr. Arunachalam says. \u201cSubsequently, people can develop conditions such as coronary artery disease or atherosclerotic heart disease, stroke and non-healing leg ulcers.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are various kinds of xanthomas too, doctors say. Xanthelasma is the most common; it\u2019s found around the eyelids and is either benign or a sign of high cholesterol. Other types include eruptive xanthomas, tuberous xanthomas, tendinous xanthomas and plane xanthomas. Depending on which one we\u2019re talking about, they can appear on your elbow, palm, joints, tendons, hands or feet.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Not sure if you\u2019re looking at that or something different? You can get a biopsy to rule out skin lesions, Dr. Arunachalam explains, but usually, an experienced clinician and dermatologist will be able to identify the deposit.<\/p>\n

Related: The Common Issue for People Over 50 That\u2019s a Surprising Sign of Heart Disease<\/a><\/p>\n

Then, treating the high cholesterol (if present) can prevent new xanthomas and may reduce existing ones, Dr. Moore adds.<\/p>\n

Ways to lower cholesterol include fitting in 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week<\/a> and eating foods that lower cholesterol<\/a>, such as oats, salmon, raspberries, dark chocolate, carrots, whole grain bread, extra virgin olive oil, apples, cashews, black beans, green tea and more.<\/p>\n

Other Skin Changes That May Be Linked to Heart Disease<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to note that xanthomas aren\u2019t the only skin change that can point to a heart issue. Doctors share more examples:<\/p>\n

Bluish discoloration of the finger skin is suspicious for cyanotic heart disease in children<\/p>\n

Earlobe creases are associated with atherosclerotic heart disease, or cholesterol blockages, of the heart\u2019s blood vessels<\/p>\n

Red spots in the palm, side of the hand and fingernails are associated with infection of the heart valves<\/p>\n

Poorly controlled skin conditions, such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis or hidradenitis suppurativa, can increase chronic inflammation, which promotes atherosclerosis<\/p>\n

Stasis dermatitis, AKA lower leg swelling, is a risk factor for heart disease, particularly congestive heart failure<\/p>\n

Related: The One Thing Dermatologists Say You Should Never, Ever Do<\/a><\/p>\n

Generally speaking, Dr. Arunachalam emphasizes the importance of seeking medical attention when you see any changes in your skin. \u201cTimely diagnosis would help in preventing complications related to high cholesterol,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Dr. Moore agrees. “If you are unsure about a persistent or non-healing lesion or swelling, you may need to see your physician or dermatologist to confirm that it is not a sign of inflammation or a more systemic problem,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

As we\u2019ve seen here, sometimes skin problems are more than that\u2014they can be a sign of a life-threatening heart condition<\/a> too.<\/p>\n

Up Next:<\/p>\n

Related: \u2018After a Period of High Cholesterol, I Lowered It by 66 mg\/dL in 2 Months\u2014Here’s What I Did\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

Sources:<\/p>\n

This story was originally reported by Parade<\/a> on Sep 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the Health & Wellness<\/a> section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Let\u2019s be real: When it comes to detecting heart disease risk, you probably aren\u2019t checking your skin first.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":133594,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[84141,84143,78464,20842,84144,97,1492,15421,13613,84142,84145],"class_list":["post-133593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-angela-moore","tag-arunachalam","tag-cholesterol-levels","tag-coronary-artery-disease","tag-dermatologist","tag-health","tag-heart-disease","tag-heart-health","tag-high-cholesterol","tag-skin-is-the-largest-organ","tag-xanthomas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=133593"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133593\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/133594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=133593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=133593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=133593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}