Recent research has found a potential clue for increased heart attack risk and it's visible to the naked eye, reports The New York Post.
The accumulation of fatty plaques in the arteries that causes restricted blood flow, known as atherosclerosis, is responsible for most heart attacks and strokes. But it builds up slowly and silently over time, not showing symptoms before a major medical incident strikes.
To better understand the deadly condition, a study by Stanford University School of Medicine and published in the journal Atherosclerosis looked at what are considered harmless yellow patches near the eyes – a deposit of cholesterol known as xanthelasma – and how it may be related to increased risk of a cardiovascular event.
When macrophages (immune cells) get filled with cholesterol and other fats, the patches puff up, often indicating higher cholesterol in the blood, which is a factor in cardiovascular disease.
“As research continues to elucidate the relationship between xanthelasma and cardio-cerebrovascular risk factors, we aimed to evaluate the association between xanthelasma and major cardio-cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) in a large study population,” the authors wrote.
While the percentage of those with xanthelasma who had a heart attack or stroke was low, the risk for a cardiovascular event increased over time in this group compared with those without the yellow growths.
Analysing health data from 17 925 people diagnosed with xanthelasma, the study found that 1% of those with the condition had a heart attack in the first year compared with 0.35% of those without.
Meanwhile, nearly 1% of people with xanthelasma suffered a stroke and 0.6% had a “mini-stroke”, or a transient ischaemic attack.
Only 0.3% of those without the condition had a stroke, while 0.19% had a “mini-stroke”.
And whether or not the xanthelasma group had high cholesterol levels, rates of cardiac events were similar, suggesting other factors could be at play.
While these patches are generally harmless on the surface level, they could signal future heart health issues.
“Most of the patients with xanthelasma are seen by dermatologists for cosmetic reasons, while they may have undiagnosed or uncontrolled cardiovascular risk factors that contribute to this elevated risk,” the study authors wrote.
Along with this condition, heart trouble can often bring about unexpected signs, such as tooth pain, sweating, fatigue or simply no symptoms at all.
The researchers suggest that while the yellow, puffy patches are not a direct cause of heart attack or stroke, those with xanthelasma could be screened for heart health problems and prescribed lifestyle changes or treatments early.
Further research is needed to look into why those with eyelid patches are at higher risk and a better understanding of how these conditions develop, they said.
Study details
Xanthelasma and its association with developing major cardio-cerebrovascular events
Negin Yavaria, Karen Waia, Amer Alsoudi et al.
Published in Atherosclerosis in May 2026
Abstract
Background and aim
To evaluate short- and long-term incidence of major adverse cardio-cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) in patients with xanthelasma.
Methods
Using TriNetX, an aggregated electronic health-records network, we identified adults with xanthelasma and matched controls with presbyopia without xanthelasma. Patients with a history of myocardial infarction (MI), ST-elevation/non-ST-elevation MI, stroke, and transient ischaemic attack (TIA) any time prior to diagnosis were excluded in both cohorts. Cohorts were matched 1:1 by propensity scores, and MACCEs were compared at 1-, 5-, and 10-years. A Kaplan-Meier was evaluated with the log-rank test based on the incidence of MACCEs.
Results
After PSM, there were a total of 17,925 patients with at least 12 months of follow-up in each cohort. At 1 year, xanthelasma was associated with higher incidence of MI (1.00% vs 0.35%; hazard ratio (HR) 2.92, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.20, 3.90), stroke (0.95% vs 0.30%; HR 3.35, 95% CI: 2.44-4.52), and TIA (0.60% vs 0.19%; HR 3.29, 95% CI: 2.24, 4.84). At 5 years, MI (2.26% vs 1.13%; HR 2.24, 95% CI: 1.89, 2.65), stroke (2.25% vs 1.03%; HR 2.46, 95% CI: 2.06, 2.93), and TIA (1.60% vs 0.74%; HR 2.41, 95% CI: 1.96, 2.97) remained high. At 10 years, MI (3.13% vs 1.73%; HR 2.14, 95% CI: 1.85, 2.45), stroke (3.00% vs 1.53%; HR 2.32, 95% CI: 2.00, 2.70), and TIA (2.00% vs 1.13%; HR 2.10, 95% CI: 1.75, 2.50) remained elevated. All comparisons were statistically significant (p < 0.0001).
Conclusions
Xanthelasma is associated with higher short- and long-term incidence of MACCEs up to 10 years, highlighting its value as a clinical marker for cardiocerebrovascular risk stratification and preventive management.
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