New on Preventing Hair Loss

The following article appeared in the March 1999 issue of the "Mirkin Report": "Exciting new research from Harvard School of Public Health shows that men who have the highest blood levels of insulin-like growthfactor-1 and women who have high levels of insulin (polycystic ovary syndrome) are the ones most likely to suffer male pattern baldness, a condition in which they lose hair from the top and front of their heads, while hair on the sides of their scalp continues to grow luxuriously....It still is early in this research, but evidence is accumulating that male pattern baldness may be caused by high levels of insulin that are produced by eating lots of sugary and floured foods such as bakery products and pastas. Future research will show if male pattern baldness can be prevented by avoiding flour and sugar, eating fruits only with meals, and taking drugs such as Glucophage and Rezulin that lower insulin levels."

The article made reference to appeared in the "Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology" 1999 Feb;40:200-3: "Hormones and hair patterning in men: a role for insulin-like growth factor 1?" Signorello LB, Wuu J, Hsieh Cc, et al. Department of Epidemiology and Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention, Harvard school of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.

Background: Androgens are important in hair growth and patterning, whereas growth hormone substitution enhances their effect in growth hormone-deficient men. No previous study has jointly evaluated the function of sex steroids, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) in determining hair patterning in men. Objective: We assessed the relationship between circulating hormone measurements and both head and chest hair patterning in a sample of elderly men.
Methods: Fifty-one apparently healthy men older than 65 years of age were studied cross-sectionally. Head and chest hair patterning was assessed by a trained interviewer. Morning blood samples from all subjects were used for measurements of testosterone, estradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, SHGB, and IGF-1.
Results: Results were obtained from logistic regression models, adjusting simultaneously for all the measured hormones and age. Men with higher levels of testosterone were more likely to have vertex baldness... In addition, for each 59ng/ml increase in IGF-1, the odds of having vertex baldness doubled...Those who were found to have higher circulating levels of SHBG were less likely to have dense hair on their chest...
Conclusion: Testosterone, SHBG, and IGF-1 may be important in determining hair patterning in men."