Baldness Linked to Coronary Heart Disease
The International Journal of Cardiology published a study showing a possible link between Alopecia and coronary heart disease. A systematic literature search was conducted and looked at 31 studies involving 29,254 subjects with alopecia.
Researchers found that alopecia was linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease (OR 1.22), metabolic syndrome (OR 4.49), hyperinsulinemia (OR 1.97), and insulin resistance (OR 4.88). It was also found that alopecia patients were more likely to have increased cholesterol levels, higher triglycerides and higher systolic & diastolic blood pressures than those without alopecia.
Concluding that there appears to be a relationship with the greater the severity of alopecia, the higher the risks of coronary heart disease and cardiovascular risk factors.
The association between baldness and hair loss has been reported in past studies however, this report is the first to examine the relationship specific to cardiovascular risk factors.