Surprise! Forehead wrinkles are related to cardiovascular disease?

Have you ever looked in the mirror and suddenly found that your forehead wrinkles have become more severe - there are a few more "small grooves" on your forehead, and secretly sighed that time is not forgiving? These forehead wrinkles are not just a sign of aging. The latest scientific research has found that there is a close connection between them and cardiovascular disease! Does this sound a bit like a fairy tale? Don't worry, let's unveil this mysterious veil today and see what kind of health secrets are hidden behind these small forehead wrinkles.

1. Forehead wrinkles: the “small stamp” of time

Let's first get to know this "old" friend, forehead wrinkles. How do they appear on our foreheads? In fact, the formation of forehead wrinkles is like a "tiring journey for the skin." Imagine that our skin is like an elastic rubber membrane, and the facial muscles under the skin are a group of naughty "little actors."

When we make various facial expressions, such as raising our eyebrows in surprise or frowning when thinking, the muscles on our foreheads, the "little actors", begin to dance actively, constantly pulling the skin. At first, the skin can handle it easily, and it can quickly return to its original state after each pull. But as time goes by, when people get older, just like a rubber band loses its elasticity after being used for a long time, the elastic fibers and collagen in the skin gradually decrease, and the "rubber membrane" is no longer as tight and elastic as before. Therefore, after each muscle pull, the skin cannot completely return to its original position, and slowly, as "the years go by and people get older", wrinkles appear. This is the "old" friend forehead wrinkles we are familiar with - jokingly called the Beijing place name "Mentougou" (Figure 1).

Figure 1 Skin aging causes "Mentougou"

2. Cardiovascular disease - the "hidden killer" of health

Cardiovascular disease, this name sounds very serious. It is actually a general term for heart and blood vessel diseases. The most common ones include coronary heart disease, hypertension, arrhythmia, etc.

Figure 2 Common cardiovascular diseases

These diseases are like "silent killers" hidden in the body, quietly threatening our health - borrowing a poem to describe this scene: quietly, I left; just as, you came quietly. Interested readers, please read further and follow my personal WeChat public account "Medical Biomechanics" article: Catching the "criminal", nicknamed "Widow Maker".

According to statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 17 million people die from cardiovascular disease each year, accounting for 31% of the global death toll. Isn't this number shocking? Cardiovascular disease not only has a high mortality rate, but also seriously affects the quality of life of patients. Many patients need to take long-term medication, see a doctor regularly, and even face the risk of surgery.

So, do these diseases really have no signs? In fact, they still reveal some "clues". Forehead wrinkles can reveal the risk of cardiovascular disease. Interested readers, please read further and follow my personal WeChat public account "Medical Biomechanics" article: Appearance is determined by the heart.

3. They seem to have nothing to do with each other, so how are they connected?

Forehead wrinkles and cardiovascular disease seem to have nothing to do with each other, so how are they connected?

This starts with the principles of biomechanics. In our body, blood vessels and skin are like a pair of closely cooperating "partners", and there is a subtle mechanical connection between them.

1. Blood vessels - the body's "highways"

Our blood vessels are like a huge highway network, responsible for transporting blood to every corner of the body. The heart is like a powerful "water pump", beating continuously, pumping blood rich in oxygen and nutrients into the arteries, and then through the arterial branches, sending the blood to the capillaries, and finally the veins bring the metabolized blood back to the heart. In this process, the elasticity of blood vessels plays a vital role. Healthy blood vessels are like elastic rubber tubes. When the heart pumps blood, the blood vessels can expand to buffer the pressure of blood on the blood vessel walls; when the heart relaxes, the blood vessels can contract to maintain a certain blood pressure and ensure continuous blood flow.

2. Skin - the body's "protective barrier"

The skin is the largest organ in our body. It is not only a beautiful "outer coat", but also an important barrier to protect our body. The skin is composed of the epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue. The dermis contains a large amount of elastic fibers and collagen, which give the skin elasticity and toughness. The elasticity of the skin allows us to move our facial muscles freely and make a variety of rich expressions, while also keeping the skin smooth and flat.

3. “Secret communication” between blood vessels and skin

You may not think that there is a close "communication" between blood vessels and skin. From a biomechanical point of view, the elasticity of blood vessels and blood pressure will directly affect the state of the skin. When the blood vessels are elastic, the blood pressure is stable, and the blood can flow smoothly to the capillaries of the skin, providing sufficient oxygen and nutrients to the skin cells, while taking away metabolic waste. In this way, the skin cells can maintain a healthy state, the synthesis of elastic fibers and collagen can proceed normally, and the skin will naturally be smooth and elastic.

However, when problems occur in blood vessels, such as atherosclerosis, the blood vessel walls will become thicker, harder, and their elasticity will decrease. This is like the road surface of a highway becoming bumpy, and vehicles will be bumpy when driving, and blood flow will be hindered. In order to ensure that blood can be transported to all parts of the body, the heart needs to increase the force of pumping blood, resulting in increased blood pressure. This abnormal change in blood pressure and blood flow will be transmitted to the surrounding tissues, including the skin, through the blood vessel walls. The microcirculation of the skin is affected, the blood supply is insufficient, and the skin cells do not get enough oxygen and nutrients, so they will begin to "throw a tantrum", the synthesis of elastic fibers and collagen will decrease, and the decomposition will increase. The skin will gradually lose its elasticity and become loose, and wrinkles will be more likely to appear.

4. Forehead wrinkles are not the only "information agent"

Why do people with cardiovascular disease tend to get forehead wrinkles? The reasons are not complicated. The forehead skin is thin, with less collagen and elastic fiber in the dermis, and weak elasticity and toughness. In addition, there are many hair follicles and sebaceous glands. Cardiovascular disease affects the endocrine system, causing dysfunction, and affecting the skin's moisturizing and barrier functions. The frontalis muscle moves frequently, and when making facial expressions, it cooperates with other facial muscles to make the skin stressed. At the same time, the forehead is exposed a lot, ultraviolet rays damage skin fibers, and external stimuli can easily damage the skin. Under the influence of cardiovascular disease, wrinkles are formed faster.

In fact, patients with cardiovascular disease do not only have wrinkles on their foreheads, but the wrinkles on their foreheads may be relatively more obvious. Wrinkles can also appear on other parts of the body. Cardiovascular disease causes vascular lesions, poor blood circulation, and metabolic disorders. This is a systemic lesion that will cause changes in the skin throughout the body. For example, the skin around the eyes is thin and fragile, and small blood vessels are affected. In addition, frequent stretching during daily activities can easily form crow's feet and eye bags. The muscles around the corners of the mouth are active, and the skin's elasticity and repair ability are reduced due to the disease, resulting in nasolabial folds. The neck has few sebaceous glands and sweat glands, and poor moisturizing. The disease slows metabolism, causes rapid loss of collagen, and frequent daily activities form neck wrinkles.

People with cardiovascular disease should pay more attention to changes in their skin, especially the appearance of forehead wrinkles. This may be a signal from the body, reminding people to actively treat cardiovascular disease and pay attention to skin care and maintenance.

4. Scientific research data: irrefutable evidence

Having said all this, is there any scientific basis? Of course there is!

A Japanese study followed 1,000 volunteers aged 40-70 for five years. The researchers found that people with deeper forehead wrinkles had a 40% higher risk of cardiovascular disease than those with no forehead wrinkles or shallow forehead wrinkles. Among the 1,000 volunteers, 200 had deeper forehead wrinkles, and 50 of them were diagnosed with cardiovascular disease within five years, while only 70 of the 800 people with shallow or no forehead wrinkles developed cardiovascular disease. Through further analysis, the researchers found that the depth of forehead wrinkles was positively correlated with the degree of atherosclerosis, that is, the deeper the forehead wrinkles, the more severe the degree of atherosclerosis may be!

Another study in the United States also came to a similar conclusion. The researchers conducted a comparative analysis of 500 patients with cardiovascular disease and 500 healthy controls and found that 70% of the patients with cardiovascular disease had obvious forehead wrinkles, while this proportion was only 30% among the healthy controls. The study also found that the number of forehead wrinkles is also related to the severity of cardiovascular disease. The more forehead wrinkles a patient has, the higher the risk of serious cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction and stroke!

In 2018, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) published a study initiated by the University Hospital Center of Toulouse, France, entitled "Deep forehead wrinkles may signal a higher risk for cardiovascular mortality". The study tracked 3,200 adults for 20 years and the results showed that people with significantly more forehead wrinkles than their peers have a higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. The researchers speculate that changes in collagen and oxidative stress play an important role in both atherosclerosis and wrinkle formation, and that tiny blood vessels in the forehead are more sensitive to plaques in the blood vessels, so wrinkles may be one of the early signs of vascular aging. "Forehead wrinkles are a simple and intuitive marker that can sound the alarm just by observing the face."

These findings suggest that forehead wrinkles are not just a sign of aging, they may also be a potential warning sign of cardiovascular disease.

5. What should we do?

Now that we know the connection between forehead wrinkles and cardiovascular disease, how should we deal with it?

1. Maintain good living habits. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the key to preventing cardiovascular diseases and delaying skin aging. First, eat a healthy diet, reduce the intake of high-fat, high-cholesterol, and high-salt foods, and eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and other foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. Secondly, exercise moderately, do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming, etc., and you can also do strength training to enhance muscle strength. In addition, quit smoking and limit alcohol, avoid staying up late, and get enough sleep, all of which help maintain the health of blood vessels and skin.

2. Take good care of your skin. Although it is impossible to completely prevent the appearance of forehead wrinkles, taking good care of your skin can delay the formation of wrinkles. Pay attention to skin cleansing and moisturizing on a daily basis, and use facial cleansing products and skin care products that are suitable for your skin type. Also pay attention to sun protection. Ultraviolet rays are one of the important causes of skin aging. When going out, you should apply sunscreen, wear a hat, use a parasol, etc. to reduce the damage of ultraviolet rays to the skin.

3. Regular physical examinations. Regular physical examinations are an important means of early detection of cardiovascular disease. Especially for the middle-aged and elderly, those with a family history of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high blood lipids, high blood sugar and other high-risk groups, it is necessary to regularly check blood pressure, blood lipids, blood sugar, electrocardiogram and other indicators to promptly detect potential health problems and take appropriate treatment measures.

VI. Summary

The connection between forehead wrinkles and cardiovascular disease shows us the close connection between various systems of the body. By understanding the biomechanical principles and scientific research data, we understand more clearly that small forehead wrinkles, like a healthy "signal light", may silently remind us to pay attention to cardiovascular health.

Therefore, when you see “earthworms crawling on the forehead - forehead wrinkles dancing everywhere” or “Sun Wukong’s forehead - full of wrinkles”, you cannot just regard them as the “musical score” of time, just to record the “melody” of joy or trouble in life, but pay attention to the cardiovascular disease risks hidden behind them.

Remember, a healthy life starts with every little detail. Don’t ignore those little wrinkles on your forehead, they may be sending you important health information!