*Yellowish patches around your eyelids may look like a cosmetic issue, but new research suggests they could also offer doctors a visible clue about a person’s long-term cardiovascular risk.
The condition, called xanthelasma, causes pale or yellow deposits containing cholesterol and other fats to form around the eyes. The patches themselves are generally harmless, acording to ScienceAlert. However, a 2026 study published in the medical journal “Atherosclerosis” found higher rates of heart attacks, strokes, and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) among people with xanthelasma.
Researchers analyzed medical data from 17,925 people diagnosed with xanthelasma and compared them with the same number of matched patients without the condition.
During the first year, 1% of patients with xanthelasma experienced a heart attack, compared with 0.35% of those without the condition. Researchers recorded strokes in 0.95% of the xanthelasma group versus 0.30% of the control group. TIAs occurred in 0.60% versus 0.19%, respectively, according to the study indexed by the National Library of Medicine.
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Although the overall percentages remained low, researchers found that the increased incidence persisted at five and 10 years.
ScienceAlert notes that xanthelasma develops when certain immune cells accumulate cholesterol and other fats. Researchers have investigated its potential connection to cardiovascular disease because fatty deposits also play a central role in atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque inside arteries.
Interestingly, the study found similar cardiovascular event rates among people with xanthelasma regardless of whether they had hyperlipidemia, suggesting that elevated blood fats alone may not explain the association.
Still, xanthelasma does not mean someone has heart disease, nor does it signal that a heart attack or stroke is imminent. The study identified an association, not evidence that the eyelid deposits cause cardiovascular events.
Instead, researchers suggest the easily recognizable patches could give healthcare professionals another reason to evaluate a patient’s cardiovascular risk factors.
So those yellow patches aren’t a reason to panic. But they may be worth mentioning to your doctor, particularly as part of a broader conversation about heart health.
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