Hair loss bothers many people, especially men.
Premature hair loss does not only affect one’s appearance, but also is linked to higher risks of many chronic health conditions.
Recently, researchers from University of Bonn examined body features with this illness.
They analyzed genetic data from around 11,000 men with premature baldness.
In addition, around 12,000 men with no hair loss served as a control. The participants came from seven different countries.
The researchers were able to identify 63 alterations in the human genome that increase the risk of premature hair loss.
They found hair loss is connected to other body features and illnesses, such as short body size, early puberty and various cancers.
The finding confirmed the link between hair loss and higher risk of prostate cancer.
But the link between heart disease and baldness is more complicated, and more research is needed.
The team suggests that men with hair loss are better able to use sunlight to synthesize vitamin D.
In another genetic study of hair loss published in PLOS Genetics, researchers from University of Edinburg find more than 200 genetic regions are involved in this common health condition.
They examined genomic and health data from over 52,000 men of the UK Biobank, and they performed a genome-wide association study of baldness.
They discovered that 287 genetic regions linked to the condition. Many of the identified genes are related to hair structure and development.
The results can help to identify people whose risk of hair loss is much higher. It also may provide possible targets for drug development to treat baldness.
For people suffering from hair loss, good news from Columbia University is that scientists found a drug called ruxolitinib that could effectively cure hair loss.
In the study, the team tested 12 patients with the hair loss. They focused on an illness called alopecia areata, the second most common form of hair loss.
The illness can occur at any age and affects men and women equally. It can also lead to facial and body hair loss with devastating consequences.
All patients were given 20 mg of oral ruxolitinib, twice a day, for three to six months. They were followed for another three months to test the durability of treatment.
By the end of treatment, average hair regrowth among the patients was 92%. Additionally, the drug was well-tolerated in all participants, with no serious adverse events.
The researchers believe that they are on the right track to cure hair loss disease.
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