Baldness as a CAD risk factor
It is with extreme trepidation (and self-reflection) that i circulate the following article (see cad and male pattern baldness bmj 2013 in dropbox). Meta-anal of 3 cohort and 3 case-controlled studies. 37K men. Results:
--cohort studies: for men with severe baldness, CAD with RR 1.32; in the case-controlled studies RR 1.70
--younger men (both <55 and <60)with similar RR=1.44
--using the Hamilton scale of baldness, vertex baldness assoc with CAD, with a "dose response curve": severe vertex baldness RR 1.48, moderate with RR 1.36. mild 1.18. all significant. but frontal baldness not assoc with CAD
In sum, these were observational studies and given the inherent problems sorting out multiple, complex risk factors, the 30% increase attributable to vertex baldness is really pretty small. Perhaps we should do an intervention study.... Hair transplants for one group?????
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