Wrinkles around the eyes are an annoyance for many people who feel that their looks don't mesh with how they feel inside. While wrinkles and other signs of aging may give away one's age, researchers think that they may also be indicative of one's health, according to research from the American Heart Association.

For the study, researchers looked at 10,885 patients over 40 who had participated in the Copenhagen Heart Study. They examined them for various signs of aging, including a receding hairline at the temples, baldness at the top of the head, earlobe creases and yellow fatty deposits around the eyelid. Researchers from the original study followed up with these individuals after 35 years.

Out of that group, 3,401 participants had developed heart disease and 1,708 experienced a heart attack. Interestingly, they found that the signs of aging proved to be indicative of heart problems for many of the participants. Fatty deposits around the eye, which many associate with aging, proved to be the biggest indicators. With each individual sign of aging, the risk of a heart attack increased.

"The visible signs of aging reflect physiological or biological age, not chronological age, and are independent of chronological age," said the study's senior author, Dr. Anne Tybjaerg-Hansen. She recommends that doctors check for these signs of aging during physical examinations.

Of course, simply because one has wrinkles around the eyes or a receding hairline does not mean they will have heart problems later on down the line. And there is no indication that treating such signs of aging will have any impact on one's heart health.

Still, some patients may find that they feel more confident after treatments aimed at reducing wrinkles and other signs of aging. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), most people who seek out a facelift feel that their facial features do not show their energetic spirit.