A 2026 study found people with xanthelasma had higher rates of heart attack, stroke and TIA over 1, 5 and 10 years compared with matched controls — an association that may prompt clinicians to check cardiovascular risk even when blood fats are normal.
People with xanthelasma had higher rates of heart attack, stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) than matched patients without the eyelid deposits.
The study reviewed medical records for 17,925 people with xanthelasma and the same number of matched controls and reported higher event rates at 1 year and that the difference persisted at 5 and 10 years.
Rates were higher regardless of whether patients had hyperlipidemia, so the visible deposits may signal risk beyond routine blood-fat test results.
Xanthelasma are pale or yellowish deposits that appear around the eyelids. They contain cholesterol and other fats and are generally considered a cosmetic issue. The deposits form when immune cells accumulate lipids in the skin near the eyes.
The authors also tracked outcomes at five and ten years and found that the increased incidence among people with xanthelasma persisted over those longer periods.
Why researchers looked at xanthelasma
Fatty deposits in arteries (atherosclerosis) are central to heart attack and stroke risk. Because xanthelasma are visible fatty deposits in skin, researchers investigated whether their presence might correlate with cardiovascular disease. The study found the link persisted even among people without diagnosed hyperlipidemia (elevated blood fats), suggesting the eyelid deposits could identify risk that routine lipid testing misses.
What the findings mean for patients
Xanthelasma does not mean someone currently has heart disease, nor does it mean a heart attack or stroke is imminent. The study shows an association, not proof that the eyelid deposits cause cardiovascular events.
Yellowish eyelid patches called xanthelasma are mostly cosmetic, but a substantial 2026 dataset linked them with higher rates of heart attack, stroke and TIA over 1, 5 and 10 years. They are worth telling your doctor about so they can assess cardiovascular risk factors and decide whether closer monitoring or preventive measures are needed.
Yellow eyelid patches called xanthelasma are linked to a significantly higher risk of heart attack and stroke The post Those Little Yellow Eye Patches May Be a Warning Sign of Heart Attack or Stroke appeared first on The Hearty Soul .
Желтоватые образования на веках могут оказаться не только косметической проблемой. Ученые обнаружили связь между их появлением и повышенным риском инфаркта и инсульта, сообщает Lada.kz.
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