A new study from the U.N. Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre in India has found that going gray before 40 and male pattern baldness put men at a five-time greater risk for heart disease than other men. The risk is even higher than the heart disease risk from obesity.
The study of baldness and premature graying
The researchers studied 1,270 healthy men under 40 and 790 men under 40 who had coronary artery disease. They scored men from 0 to 3 for baldness, with 3 being the most severe. They also gave the men a score for how gray or white their hair was, and then analyzed the men’s hearts for angiographic lesions, which are markers for coronary artery disease. They found:
- 50% of the men with coronary artery disease had gray hair
- 30% of the healthy men had gray hair
- 49% of the men with coronary artery disease had male pattern baldness
- 27% of the healthy men had male pattern baldness
Using those number, the researchers discovered that male pattern baldness increase the risk of coronary artery disease by 5.6 times, while premature gray hair indicated 5.3 times the risk. Obesity, however, only increase heart disease risk by just over 4 times.
Vascular age trumps chronological age
One of the study’s co-authors, Dr. Sachin Patil explained, “Premature graying and [male pattern baldness] correlate well with vascular age irrespective of chronological age and are plausible risk factors for coronary artery disease.”
The researchers aren’t recommended that these men go on statins automatically because no causal relationship has been established yet.
But they do recommend that men with premature graying and male pattern baldness receive extra monitoring for coronary artery disease.
If you have premature graying or male pattern baldness, talk to your doctor about this study and get advice on lifestyle changes, especially things like eating healthy, getting regular exercise and managing your stress.
