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Male pattern baldness and its association with coronary heart disease: a meta-analysis

Tomohide Yamada1, Kazuo Hara, Hitomi Umematsu

  • 1Department of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.

BMJ Open
|April 5, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Male pattern baldness, specifically vertex baldness, is linked to a higher risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). This association is stronger with severe vertex baldness and is also observed in younger men.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology and Dermatology
  • Epidemiology and Public Health

Background:

  • Male pattern baldness is a common condition with potential links to various health issues.
  • Previous research has suggested an association between baldness and coronary heart disease (CHD), but findings have been inconsistent.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct a meta-analysis to confirm the association between male pattern baldness and coronary heart disease (CHD).
  • To investigate whether the location and severity of baldness influence the risk of CHD.

Main Methods:

  • A meta-analysis of observational studies was performed.
  • Searches of Medline and the Cochrane Library were conducted up to November 2012.
  • Eligibility, data extraction, and bias assessment were independently performed by two observers.

Main Results:

  • The meta-analysis included 3 cohort and 3 case-control studies with 36,990 participants.
  • Severe vertex baldness was associated with a significantly increased risk of CHD (RR 1.32, 95% CI 1.08-1.63).
  • The risk increased with the severity of vertex baldness (severe: RR 1.48; moderate: RR 1.36; mild: RR 1.18), and was also seen in younger men. Frontal baldness showed no significant association.

Conclusions:

  • Vertex baldness, particularly when severe, is associated with an elevated risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).
  • The association between vertex baldness and CHD is evident in younger men and appears dose-dependent.
  • Vertex baldness may be more closely linked to atherosclerosis than frontal baldness, warranting further investigation.
Abstract

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