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Harvard Heart Letter | June 2008
Heart Beat
Chrome dome doesn’t mean sicker ticker
Some men — think Yul Brynner, Sean Connery, or Michael Jordan — make balding
look good. For most of us, though, it’s a pain. A double pain, if balding is a
risk factor for cardiovascular disease, as some studies have suggested. Take
heart, all ye with receding (or receded) hairlines. At least half of the studies
on this topic, including the latest one, show no link between balding and heart
trouble.
In the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, researchers found no
substantial links between patterns of baldness, or its severity, and heart
attack risk. Taking this research a step further, they found no link between
baldness and the buildup of cholesterol-laden plaque in the carotid arteries, a
marker of the health of the circulatory system.
Looking for a connection between baldness and heart disease isn’t a
harebrained endeavor. Balding is partially driven by testosterone, levels of
which may influence heart disease. Yet despite several dozen studies, no clear
connection has developed between balding and cardiovascular disease.
So don’t fret that the receding hairline you see in the mirror is a
reflection of your heart’s health. But you could use it as a gentle reminder to
be good to your heart. Everything from your crown on down will prosper from
efforts to keep your heart in shape.
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