Dermatoglyphic traits in patients with cardiovascular disorders.

Dermatoglyphic studies were carried out on 800 Japanese subjects. Digital dermal pattern types were classified into true whorls, double loops, ulnar loops, radial loops and arches. Both total and absolute ridge count were recorded. Subjects with hypertension, angina pectoris and myocardial infarction were compared with the remaining group of others who had not yet developed any of these disorders. Individuals with myocardial infarction had a significantly higher frequency of true whorls and a correspondingly lower frequency of ulnar loops than the control group. Total and absolute ridge counts were also significantly higher in myocardial infarction. Individuals with hypertension and angina pectoris were not significantly different in most dermatoglyphic traits from the controls. These observations suggest that antenatal factors may contribute to the etiology of myocardial infarction in man.