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A "Handy" tool for hypertension prediction: Dermatoglyphics.
Ganesh Chakravathy P1, Arun Shirali1, K Nithyananda Chowta1
1Department of General Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Mangalore, India.
Indian Heart Journal
|January 1, 2019
Summary
Fingerprint patterns, specifically whorls and the atd angle, are associated with hypertension risk. Dermatoglyphics may help identify individuals prone to high blood pressure for targeted prevention.
Area of Science:
- Medical Genetics
- Dermatology
- Cardiovascular Health
Background:
- Fingerprints are unique identifiers determined by genetic makeup.
- Hypertension is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.
- Dermatoglyphics, the study of fingerprints, offers insights into genetic predispositions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between palmar dermatoglyphic parameters and hypertension.
- To explore the potential of dermatoglyphics as a tool for hypertension risk assessment.
Main Methods:
- An observational study comparing 250 hypertensive cases and 250 normotensive controls.
- Digital imaging used to capture fingertip dermatoglyphic patterns.
- Calculation of the 'atd' angle using specialized software and statistical analysis.
Main Results:
- The mean 'atd' angle was significantly higher in hypertensive cases compared to controls.
- Whorl patterns were more frequent in hypertensive individuals across various comparisons.
- The distribution of dermatoglyphic patterns showed a statistically significant difference between cases and controls.
Conclusions:
- Fingerprint patterns, including whorl frequency and the 'atd' angle, can help identify individuals at risk for hypertension.
- Dermatoglyphics shows promise as a cost-effective tool for hypertension risk identification.
- Further large-scale research is recommended to establish dermatoglyphics as a standard screening method.