Assessment of cardiovascular risk factors in male androgenetic alopecia: A case control study in a tertiary care hospital of western Odisha

Abstract

Androgenic alopecia (AGA) is the most common cause of patterned hair loss among males which is characterized by progressive hair loss from the bi-temporal and vertex regions of the scalp. Although previous epidemiological studies found an association between metabolic syndrome (MetS), and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among adult AGA male patients, there has been no comprehensive research till now to establish this correlation between AGA and cardiovascular risk and there is a paucity of data regarding this association. Two hundred men were included in the study, N = 100 AGA patients included in the patient group, and the rest in the control group. In both groups, the parameters for MetS such as family history, socioeconomic status, obesity, blood pressure, and lipid profile), and in the presence of the CAA plaques and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) using Doppler ultrasonography were established. The degree of AGA was asses by using the Hamilton-Norwood grade (I-VII) system for males. Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-square test. AGA was found in 11.6% of OPD patients, whereas 3 patients have CAA plaque and 6 cases have C-IMT from the patient's group. There was a statistical association between male AGA with MetS, and insulin-resistant patients (P = 0.001 and 0.0004, respectively). A positive family history of AGA patients, hypertension, DM, and CVD was found to be significantly more frequent in study cases than in the controls (P <0.05). Patients with AGA appear to have a highly prevalent risk of developing CVD and CAA plaque. Therefore, clinical evaluation of each AGA patient’s cases is needed, especially for grade III and above which may help prevent CVD in the future. Timely intervention and lifestyle changes in male AGA patients can fulfil the ultimate objective of reducing cardiovascular complications in the future.