It would appear that there is a connection between premature baldness and heart disease based on a recent study of just over 2000 men under 40 in India. The results seemed fairly conclusive as they established that the men who had coronary heart disease were significantly more likely to have male pattern baldness aka androgenic alopecia or greying hair.
The research, which will be presented at the CSI conference in Kolkata shows that 49% of the men with heart conditions were suffering from premature baldness whereas only 27% of the healthy men were showing signs of hair loss.
Not the first study to link heart disease with hair loss
It’s not the first study to link baldness with heart disease. Back in 2013 a Japanese study of nearly 40,000 men established that those with androgenic alopecia were 32% more prone to have coronary heart disease. What’s not clear is if there is an actual causal link or the propensity to both conditions is as a result of certain lifestyle choices.
The Lead study author from the UN Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre in Ahmedabad advised that men with androgenic alopecia (or even greying hair) “should receive extra monitoring for coronary artery disease and advice on lifestyle changes, such as healthy diet, exercise and stress management”.
If there’s any doubt then probably worth getting a check up with your GP
In conclusion it would appear that premature hair loss could be an indicator of potential heart problems although the exact link is not completely understood. Some have theorised that both androgenic alopecia and coronary heart disease could be the result of DNA damage associated with ageing. If you’re concerned that you might be losing your hair then it’s probably worth mentioning it to your GP and possibly arranging a general check up to make sure that there are no other underlying health problems.
