People who have raised patches of yellow skin around their upper or lower eyelids may be at increased risk of suffering a heart attack or developing heart disease, the results of a new study suggest.

According to Danish researchers, it is already known that these yellow patches are cholesterol deposits. Yet many people who have them do not test positive for high cholesterol when given a blood test.

The team decided to look at any potential links between these patches and the risk of various heart-related conditions, including heart attacks, stroke and heart disease.

The study involved over 12,000 adults who were all heart disease-free at the beginning of the study. Almost 5% had the yellow patches on their eyelids. The participants were monitored for over 30 years.

The researchers from the University of Copenhagen found that the risk of developing heart disease or suffering a heart attack was increased in both men and women if they had these yellow patches. The risk of dying within a 10-year period was also increased.

The results applied to people of all ages and were independent of other known heart risk factors, such as cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and obesity.

The highest risk appeared to be in older males - those aged between 70 and 79.

However, the team noted that having white or grey rings around the cornea of the eye - also known to be deposits of cholesterol - did not increase the risk of suffering a heart-related event.

Details of these findings are published in the British Medical Journal. In an accompanying editorial, experts said that the study indicates that these yellow patches could be used by doctors to help identify people at higher risk of various heart-related problems.

For more information on heart health, see Irishhealth.com's Heart Disease Clinic