Hair loss is a common side effect of aging, especially amongst men. In fact, some numbers suggest that 65 percent of men experience noticeable hair loss by the time they're 60. With hair loss affecting so many men, it's only natural that any negative health condition that is correlated with hair loss would be a point of concern.
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have reviewed six studies, finding that balding men are at a greater risk of having a heart attack. Their findings, published online in the British journal BMJ Open, looked at 37,000 subjects under the age of 55, reports the Guardian. Upon analysis, a correlation could clearly be seen: Bald or balding men are 44 percent more likely to develop coronary artery disease. In the past, researchers have found a pattern between the severity of baldness and the level of risk of coronary heart disease.
But it is not just level of baldness -- where you lose hair can also tell you your risk level. For instance, men with both frontal and crown-top baldness are 69 percent more likely to have coronary artery disease than their full-haired counterparts. Men with only crown-top baldness are 52 percent more likely to develop heart problems and men with just frontal baldness are 22 percent more likely.
While there's no explanation as to why this correlation exists, the researchers speculate in a press release that it may have something to do with insulin resistance, a state of chronic inflammation, or increases sensitivity to testosterone.
"[Our] findings suggest that vertex baldness (balding at the crown) is more closely associated with systemic atherosclerosis than with frontal baldness," conclude the researchers. "Thus, cardiovascular risk factors should be reviewed carefully in men with vertex baldness, especially younger men [who should] probably be encouraged to improve their cardiovascular risk profile."
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