February is heart month

Is There an Association Between Hair Loss and Heart Disease?

February is Heart Health Awareness month. Is there a connection between some types of hair loss and heart disease? Yes.

Men with early male balding have an increased risk of several cardiovascular risk factor including high blood pressure, cholesterol issues and diabetes. The same is true in women. One main cardiovascular risk factors is smoking. It is also associated with accelerated genetic hair loss.

Some patterns of hair loss in children - including the hair shaft disorders Carvajal's syndrome (wooly hair and left ventricular disease of the heart) and Naxos disease (wooly hair and right heart rhythm disturbances) are associated with heart disease.

Some heart medications, especially the beta blockers (propranolol especially) have been linked to hair shedding with long term use.

The hair and heart are linked!