Scientists say baldness is good for your health
http://www.hair123.co.uk/articles/articles/78/1/Scientists-say-baldness-is-good-for-your-health/Page1.html
Jeremy Harkin
Jeremy has enjoyed a varied career in advertising and media. He is now a freelance editorial consultant working with mainstream men's mags and their associated websites.By Jeremy Harkin
Published on 17th March, 2010
New research from the US has found that men who lose their hair by the
age of 30 seem to be less likely to develop prostate cancer.
New research from the US has found that men who lose their hair by the
age of 30 seem to be less likely to develop prostate cancer.
The study was carried out on 2000 men between the ages of 40 and 47 by researchers at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine. Their findings have now been published in the Cancer Epidemiology journal.
The researchers linked the presence of high levels of testosterone, in men who had developed baldness earlier on in life, with a lower risk of tumours. In the research, it was found that men who had receding hairlines and bald spots on the top of their head by the age of 30 were 29 per cent to 45 per cent less likely to develop prostate cancer later in life.
It is estimated that about 25 to 30 per cent of men have some hair loss by the age of 30, while 50 per cent of all men have suffered a significant degree of hair loss by the time they reach 50.
Dr Helen Rippon, from The Prostate Cancer Charity, commented: "Clearly, the age at which a man begins to lose his hair is unfortunately not a risk factor for prostate cancer over which he has any control. However, if these results are correct, they could be useful in providing us with a greater understanding of how testosterone behaves in the body and how it can affect different tissues."
The study was carried out on 2000 men between the ages of 40 and 47 by researchers at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine. Their findings have now been published in the Cancer Epidemiology journal.
The researchers linked the presence of high levels of testosterone, in men who had developed baldness earlier on in life, with a lower risk of tumours. In the research, it was found that men who had receding hairlines and bald spots on the top of their head by the age of 30 were 29 per cent to 45 per cent less likely to develop prostate cancer later in life.
It is estimated that about 25 to 30 per cent of men have some hair loss by the age of 30, while 50 per cent of all men have suffered a significant degree of hair loss by the time they reach 50.
Dr Helen Rippon, from The Prostate Cancer Charity, commented: "Clearly, the age at which a man begins to lose his hair is unfortunately not a risk factor for prostate cancer over which he has any control. However, if these results are correct, they could be useful in providing us with a greater understanding of how testosterone behaves in the body and how it can affect different tissues."