In the News – Baldness Good for Your Health?

Snippet from the article:

A receding hairline can be a good thing, according to US scientists, who say men who go bald by 30 appear to be less likely to develop prostate cancer.

Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine studied 2,000 men aged between 40 and 47. They were able to link high levels of the male hormone testosterone in those who lose their hair earlier with a lower risk of tumours. The findings are published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology.

Read the full article at BBC — Baldness ‘could be good for your health’ say scientists

This article runs contrary to a report published just over 10 years ago in the Journal of the American Medical Association that pointed out that men with only vertex balding in the crown had a higher incidence of heart disease than the general population of no-balding or full-balding men.

Studies like these are interesting, but they’re really more about polling and compiling the data than trying to make a definitive connection. One group reports their data says X, and another group reports their data says Y… which means there’s a lot of room for disagreement and further study. Plus, an important note that the article does point out at the end — “The results hinge on asking men between ages 40 and 70 to remember whether their hair was thinning when they were 30, which does not provide a very reliable measurement“.