Androgenic Alopecia and Subclinical Atherosclerosis: Is Any Relationship?

Abstract

Background and purpose: Androgenic alopecia (AGA) is one of the common presenting problems in dermatology. Relationship between AGA and atherosclerosis/cardiovascular disorders has been surveyed in many studies with different results: some approved it and the others did not. The aim of this study was comparative survey of carotid intima–media thickness between cases with AGA and controls. Subjects and methods: This case control study was conducted from August 2016 to March 2017 at ambulatory dermatology clinics of 2 university hospital, Tehran. The case group consisted of patients with androgenetic alopecia in the range of 18-60 years. The controls were age and “bone mass index” matched friends and families. Individuals with cardiovascular risk factors/diseases were excluded. Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) was measured at right common Carotid before bifurcation by a faculty radiologist. Data were analyzed in SPSS 22 software. Results: Totally 94 individuals (47 cases, 47 controls) were studied. The case and control groups were matched regarding age and BMI. IMT in the case and control groups were 0.56 ± 0.15 and 0.55 ± 0.14 mm respectively (p=0.674). IMT in the cases with vertex alopecia was significantly higher than frontal alopecia: 0.61 ± 0.14 vs. 0.5 ± 0.14 (p=0.018). Comparison of IMT between cases with vertex alopecia and the controls revealed are not significant difference. Conclusion: This study showed no significant increase of IMT in androgenetic alopecia (especially vertex type) in comparison with the controls. Further studies are recommended.