Humana HealthBeat Transcript Archive

A new study reveals that men with male pattern baldness are at an increased risk for heart disease.

Researchers surveyed more than 19 thousand American male doctors without any signs of heart disease at the beginning of the study. They were asked to rate their hair loss at age 45 and then were sent questionnaires for the next 11 years and asked about any new medical diagnoses.

Compared with men with no hair loss, those men with frontal baldness had a slightly increased risk of heart disease.

Men with baldness at the crown, also known as vertex baldness, had even more risk, which increased with the degree of hair loss. Men with vertex baldness had an even higher risk of heart disease if they had high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

While there isn't much you can do about your pattern of hair loss, you can change other risk factors for heart disease with diet, exercise and avoiding tobacco. If you do fall into this category, it's a good idea to speak with your doctor about screening for heart disease and the risk factors you can change.

January 28
Male pattern baldness and heart disease
	A new study reveals that men with male pattern baldness are at an increased risk for heart disease. Researchers surveyed more than 19 thousand American male doctors without any signs of heart disease at the beginning of the study. They were asked to rate their hair loss at age 45 and then were sent questionnaires for the next 11 years and asked about any new medical diagnoses. Compared with men with no hair loss, those men with frontal baldness had a slightly increased risk of heart disease. Men with baldness at the crown, also known as vertex baldness, had even more risk, which increased with the degree of hair loss. Men with vertex baldness had an even higher risk of heart disease if they had high blood pressure or high cholesterol. While there isn't much you can do about your pattern of hair loss, you can change other risk factors for heart disease with diet, exercise and avoiding tobacco. If you do fall into this category, it's a good idea to speak with your doctor about screening for heart disease and the risk factors you can change.

	Do we know why there is an association with hair loss and heart disease? It may be that men with baldness have higher levels of circulating testosterone. Testosterone can lead to hardened and clogged arteries, and can be a factor in high cholesterol and high blood pressure. References and Resources: Lotufo PA, Chae CU, et. al. Male Pattern Baldness and Coronary Heart Disease. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2000; 160:165-171. http://archinte.ama-assn.org/pi/index.html American Heart Association www.americanheart.org