Hypertension and aldosterone levels in women with early-onset androgenetic alopecia.

Br J Dermatol. 2010 Apr;162(4):786-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2009.09588.x. Epub 2009 Nov 10.
Hypertension and aldosterone levels in women with early-onset androgenetic alopecia.
Arias-Santiago S, Gutiérrez-Salmerón MT, Buendía-Eisman A, Girón-Prieto MS, Naranjo-Sintes R.

Department of Dermatology, San Cecilio University Hospital, Av Dr Oloriz 16, Granada 18012, Spain. salvadorarias@hotmail.es

BACKGROUND:
Few studies have analysed the relationship between androgenetic alopecia (AGA) in women and cardiovascular disease. There is reported to be an elevated prevalence of hypertension among men with AGA, and it has been proposed that both phenomena may be explained by the presence of hyperaldosteronism. However, no data on blood pressure (BP) and aldosterone levels in women with AGA have been published to date.
OBJECTIVES:
The objective of this study was to evaluate aldosterone levels and the presence of systolic and diastolic hypertension in women with early-onset AGA and in healthy controls.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
This case-control study included 40 women with AGA and 40 healthy controls from the Department of Dermatology of San Cecilio Hospital, Granada, Spain.
RESULTS:
Patients with AGA showed significantly higher systolic BP values (139.43 vs. 107.80 mmHg; P < 0.0001), diastolic BP values (87.65 vs. 67.48 mmHg; P < 0.0001) and aldosterone levels (249.55 vs. 155.14 pg mL(-1); P = 0.002) vs. controls, respectively. A positive correlation between aldosterone levels and systolic and diastolic BP values is described.
CONCLUSIONS:
A higher prevalence of hypertension in women with AGA has been found. The elevated aldosterone values in these patients may contribute, alongside other mechanisms, to the development of AGA and may also explain the higher prevalence of hypertension. BP screening of women with AGA will permit earlier diagnosis of an unsuspected hypertension and initiation of appropriate treatment.

How would hypertension affect the microvascular system of the skin? Would it?

A reduction in the density of capillaries (rarefaction) is known to occur in many tissues in patients with essential hypertension.

http://hyper.ahajournals.org/content/33/4/998.full

Here are some related information I wrote a few years ago concerning aldosterone and hair loss (and other causes of hypertension).

http://www.immortalhair.org/physiology.htm

With respect to AGA related/associated hypertension, maintaining adequate physiologic levels of Insulin-like growth factor-1 can normalize it.

One way is using either promoters of Nitric Oxide or those that prevent the generation of peroxynitrate. In turn, these often increase IGF-1 while normalizing blood pressure.

Ecklonia cava essentially does this (reduces blood pressure, promotes IGF-1 and boost NO and attenuates peroxynitrate).

DHT inhibits IGF-1, which is a primary mechanism behind hair loss with DHT.

CS,

You've recently posted that DHT levels are inversely correlated with MPB, which is confusing. Can you explain why you think this and how it's desirable if it blunts IGF-1?

In MPB research (http://www.hairloss-research.org) the view is that HIGH DHT and LOW T (and SHBG) is the problem.

You want to reduce DHT and boost T, for optimal health, hair and logevity.

Somewhat different view.