Frank’s Sign: The Earlobe Crease That Might Predict a Heart Attack | Smartest Year Ever (Aug 5, 2025)

Frank’s Sign is a subtle crease in the earlobe that just might carry a much deeper meaning—one that’s been the subject of serious cardiovascular research for decades.

In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy explores the strange and surprising connection between a diagonal earlobe crease and heart disease, a phenomenon first documented in the 1970s. Known as Frank’s Sign, this small fold has been linked in numerous studies to coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, and even sudden cardiac death—but the science remains hotly debated.

Is it a powerful diagnostic clue hidden in plain sight—or just a wrinkle in medical folklore? Could a vascular clue be sitting right below your ear? And what do Tony Soprano, collagen breakdown, and microvascular aging have to do with any of this?

This episode dives deep into the meta-analyses, the skeptics, and the unresolved questions at the intersection of dermatology and cardiology. Tune in for a smart, strange, and conversation-worthy topic that might change the way you look at your own ears—and everyone else’s.

📚 Sources:

• Frank, S. T. (1973). Aural sign of coronary artery disease. New England Journal of Medicine, 289(6), 327. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM197308092890622
  

• Lucenteforte, E., Romoli, M., Zito, F., & Gensini, G. F. (2016). Diagonal earlobe crease and coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis. The American Journal of Medicine, 129(6), 638–643.e4.
  

• Edston, E. (2006). The earlobe crease, coronary artery disease and sudden cardiac death: an autopsy study. American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, 27(2), 129–133.
  

• Evrengül, H., et al. (2004). Diagonal earlobe crease and coronary artery disease: a significant association. Dermatology, 209(4), 271–275.
  

• Brady, P. (2017). Frank’s sign: myth or marker of cardiovascular disease? Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 84(2), 111–112.
  

#SmartestYearEver #HeartHealth #MedicalMystery #FrankSign #Cardiology #EarClue #heartattacks #heartdisease Music thanks to Zapsplat.