Study of co-relation between Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) and Dermatoglyphics

Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) is one of the biggest causes for mortality and morbidity in the world. Dermatoglyphic traits have been observed in patients diagnosed with IHD which are different from normal individuals. These traits if well studied can act as screening tools for early detection of susceptible individuals. The objective of this study is to correlate the various dermatoglyphic parameters with IHD. This is a case control study involving 60 patients with IHD and 60 controls, conducted at Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology. The fingerprints were taken with the method suggested by Cummins and Midlo in 1929. The dermatoglyphic parameters observed were digital finger patterns like whorls, arches, radial and ulnar loops. Fischer’s test, chi square test and odds ratio were calculated to interpret the results. The dermatoglyphic pattern distribution among the patients was 37.3% whorls, 29% ulnar loops, 15.7% radial loops and 18.3% arches in comparison with control group with 31.3%, 42.7%, 3%, and 23% respectively. The odds ratio was 1.30 for whorls, 0.54 for ulnar loops, 6.1 for radial loops and 0.75 for arches. There is a significant relation between dermatoglyphics and IHD. Dermatoglyphics is not mainly related to the diagnosis of a disease but more to its prognosis.