6 Signs of Heart Disease That May Appear on the Face: From Earlobe Creases to Facial Redness
4. Deep Forehead Wrinkles and Cardiovascular Risk
Forehead wrinkles are among the most common visible signs of aging.
Horizontal lines can develop because of repeated facial expressions, sun exposure, genetics and the natural reduction of collagen and elastin that occurs with age.
So why have scientists investigated a possible relationship between forehead wrinkles and heart disease?
The idea comes from research examining whether visible signs of aging might correlate with biological aging and cardiovascular risk.
Can forehead wrinkles really be linked to heart disease?
Some observational research has reported an association between deeper forehead wrinkles and cardiovascular mortality.
One frequently discussed study involved thousands of participants and examined whether the severity of horizontal forehead lines was associated with the risk of cardiovascular death.
The findings attracted widespread media attention because people with more pronounced forehead wrinkles appeared to have a substantially higher risk in that particular population.
However, this does not mean that forehead wrinkles cause heart disease.
It also does not mean that a person with deep wrinkles is likely to have a heart attack.
Why might there be a connection?
Researchers have proposed several possibilities.
One is that visible skin aging could reflect broader biological aging.
Processes that affect skin structure can overlap with processes involved in vascular aging, including oxidative stress, inflammation and changes in connective tissue.
Atherosclerosis also develops through complex biological processes involving inflammation and changes within artery walls.
But these hypotheses require much more evidence before forehead wrinkles could be considered a clinically useful cardiovascular screening tool.
Sun exposure is a major cause of forehead wrinkles
There is another important explanation.
Chronic exposure to ultraviolet radiation accelerates skin aging.
UV exposure damages collagen and elastin and can lead to:
- Fine lines
- Deep wrinkles
- Uneven pigmentation
- Loss of skin elasticity
- Rough skin texture
Therefore, deep forehead wrinkles may simply indicate extensive sun exposure or genetic predisposition.
Smoking and facial aging
Smoking is another major contributor to premature skin aging.
Smoking affects blood vessels, oxygen delivery and connective tissue and can contribute to wrinkles and changes in skin appearance.
Interestingly, smoking is also an established cardiovascular risk factor.
This illustrates an important issue with studies of visible aging: the same underlying lifestyle factor may contribute to both the facial appearance and cardiovascular disease.
That does not mean the wrinkle itself is causing the heart problem.
Should deep forehead wrinkles worry you?
No—not by themselves.
If you have deep forehead lines and no other symptoms or cardiovascular risk factors, there is no reason to assume that you have heart disease.
If the wrinkles make you think about your general health, however, it can be a useful opportunity to review established risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, exercise and diet.
August 30, 2026 | 10:23 pm
