PROVE IT
Baldness may indicate hypertension risk
December 12, 2009
THE CLAIM
High blood pressure will increase people's risk of losing their hair.
THE FACTS
Hypertension has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and early mortality. But hair loss?
Scientists are not exactly sure why, but a number of studies have suggested a relationship between blood pressure and men's baldness, particularly the early-onset kind.
In a study published in 2007, for example, researchers looked at 250 men ages 35 to 65. After controlling for age, high cholesterol, smoking and other variables, they found hypertension was "strongly associated" with male-pattern baldness. Those with a blood pressure reading above 120 over 80 had twice the risk of the others.
Other studies suggest a link between baldness and heart disease. For a 2000 study in The Archives of Internal Medicine, for example, researchers analyzed health records for 22,000 male doctors over 11 years, examining many aspects of their health.
Men with mild balding of the crown had a 23 per cent higher risk for heart disease and those whose crowns were completely bald had a 36 per cent greater risk.
But the relationship is only a correlation. Researchers suspect hair loss could be among many markers of an increased risk of hypertension, caused in part by higher levels of testosterone and other hormones, and more androgen receptors in the scalp.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Studies suggest that hair loss may indicate an increased risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.
The New York Times
Toronto Star
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