Does being bald increase heart attack risk?

Does being bald increase heart attack risk?

There has always been somewhat of an urban myth that men who are bald are at an increased risk for a heart attack.  Is this true?  It appears they may be but only if the baldness is on the top or crown of the head, rather than at the front. 

First, how did the belief that bald men were more likely to suffer from a heart attack ever start to begin with?  The reason has to do with a theory as to why some men go bald and others do not.  The theory is that bald men have more androgen, a hormone that controls the secondary sexual characteristics in men like hair growth and voice deepening.  In the past, some studies have found having higher levels of androgen lead to plaque buildup in the arteries that has been linked to heart attacks.  Yet, when all bald men are grouped together, there is not much difference in their risk of having a heart attack.  Until the men are compared with their degree and type of baldness such as men with all over baldness or men with mainly frontal-only baldness, that differences in rates of heart attack begin to appear. 

Degree of baldness matters

Two separate studies have shown that it’s not so much hair loss in general but rather the type and severity of baldness that made a difference.  A 2008 University of Arizona study of more than 5,000 men found that men who had a combination of frontal and vertex baldness, or baldness that begins at the top of the head, were more likely to have had a heart attack in the past than men with only frontal baldness.   Also found were men with moderate vertex baldness were 20 percent more likely to have had a heart attack and men with more severe baldness were even worse. 

A 2013 study published in the online journal BMJ Open found male pattern baldness is linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease but only if it’s on the top or crown of the head – again vertex balding - instead of the front.  In fact the study found that men with vertex baldness are 70 percent more likely to have heart disease and those in younger age groups were 84 percent more likely to do so.

The connection between balding and heart disease

There are no hard and fast facts as to why men who are balding may be at a greater risk of having a heart disease.  Possible explanations range from the possibility baldness may indicate insulin resistance which is a precursor to diabetes, or it could be due to a state of chronic inflammation, or an increased sensitivity to testosterone, all of which are involve directly or indirectly in promoting cardiovascular disease. 

Whatever the exact reason is, it is important for men who are bald to at least know there could be a possible risk for heart attack.  Any man who has hair loss should talk to their doctor about ways to lower their risk of cardiovascular disease through eating a healthy diet, not smoking, and increasing exercise.  At the first sign of baldness, no matter what age, men should lead a healthier lifestyle to increase their odds of avoiding a heart attack to begin with.