title: Androgenetic alopecia and risk of coronary artery disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) or male pattern baldness (MPB) has been found to be associated with the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). The well-known risk factors are family history of CAD, hypertension, increased body mass index (BMI), central obesity, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia. The newer risk factors are serum lipoprotein-a (SL-a), serum homocysteine (SH), and serum adiponectin (SA).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Identifying individuals at risk of CAD at an early age might help in preventing CAD and save life. Hence, a comparative study of CAD risk factors was planned in 100 males of AGA between the age of 25 and 40 years with equal number of age- and sex-matched controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients of AGA grade II or more of Hamilton and Norwood (HN) Scale and controls were examined clinically and advised blood test. The reports were available for fasting blood sugar (FBS), serum total serum cholesterol (SC) in 64 cases, 64 controls; lipoproteins (high, low, very low density, HDL, LDL, VLDL), serum triglycerides (ST) in 63 cases, 63 controls; SL-a in 63 cases, 74 controls; SH in 56 cases, 74 controls; and SA in 62 cases, 74 controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In these cases family history (FH) of AGA and CAD was significantly high. The blood pressure (BP) was also found to be significantly high in the cases. The difference of mean serum HDL, LDL, VLDL, ST, SH, and SL-a in cases and controls were statistically significant and with increasing grade of AGA, the risk factors also increased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with AGA appear to be at an increased risk of developing CAD, therefore, clinical evaluation of cases with AGA of grade II and above may be of help in preventing CAD in future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Lata
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dubey
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Department of Siddhant Darshan, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Aruna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agrawal
keywords: Androgenetic alopecia and risk of coronary artery disease; androgenetic alopecia; coronary artery disease risk factors; male pattern baldness