Baldness Gene Discovered — 1 In 7 Men "At Risk"

FiReaNGeL writes "Researchers conducted a genome-wide association study of 1,125 Caucasian men who had been assessed for male pattern baldness. They found two previously unknown genetic variants on chromosome 20 that substantially increased the risk of male pattern baldness. They then confirmed these findings in an additional 1,650 Caucasian men. 'If you have both the risk variants we discovered on chromosome 20 and the unrelated known variant on the X chromosome, your risk of becoming bald increases sevenfold. What's startling is that one in seven men have both of those risk variants.'" So maybe gene therapy will finally have a real purpose.

Testosterone?

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't see any mention of the "main" male hormone testosterone, in the article. From what I have read in the past, even if you are genetically predisposed to lose your hair, if you don't have enough testosterone, you won't.
 

1 in 7 at risk?

[93 Escort Wagon]

My understanding (and my observation, for that matter) is that roughly 50% of men end up going bald. So how is it news that 1 in 7 men have both of these traits?

BTW, here's a bonus hint to help you find those young guys that are already going bald - look for baseball caps being worn backward. Although a completely shaved head (on a white guy, anyway) is a dead giveaway as well, and gaining in popularity as an alternative to the baseball cap.

Re:Why on earth,,,

[thetoadwarrior]

Actually baldness is important. Yes most people see it from the shallow POV but being bald puts you at a higher risk of skin cancer. Sure you can always wear a hat but that's not always possible.

Also balding and testosterone levels are linked so this research could also effect that which has a greater impact on men's health so while it's very possible this came about out of shallowness in men the end result could mean much more.

Re:1 in 7 at risk?

[Johnny Loves Linux]

The deal is this:
1 in 7 males will start having significant hair loss in late teens/early twenties. 3 out 7 males will *eventually* go bald (either early or eventually assuming they make it to their 50's/60's.)

The point of this article is that
a) if you've got the baldness gene on the X chromosone, you're one of the 3 out 7 guys.
b) if you *also* have the 2 variants on chromosone 20 then you're in the 1 out 7 guys who's going to lose his early and severely.
c) if you don't have the baldness gene on the X chromosone and the 2 variants on chromosone 20, you're one of those 4 out 7 bastards who will have a full head of hair until they die (unless they shave it off of course out of sympathy for the rest of us who are follicle challenged.)

Re:1 in 7 at risk?

[CoderBob]

Your two dead giveaways fail in the area I live in. There are a lot of backwards baseball caps worn by young guys, and more than a few shaved heads, even on white guys. I shaved my head last winter so that I could wear a stocking cap and not have to deal with not being presentable after I took it off. Trying to decide on if a person is balding based on a style choice seems a little bit of a stretch.

Re:Is baldness a disease?

[Johnny Loves Linux]

Baldness is not a disease. It's a physical trait that distinguishes some males from others. You can find baldness in pretty much any ethnic group. The big question to ask is: Does being bald help you get some sex, or does it hurt your chances? If it hurt, you would expect it to die out as most women would turn down a bald guy *if* being bald was a turn off. If it helped excessively, then the (vast) majority of men would have the baldness gene. If it neither helped nor hindered a guy's chance to get sex then you would expect the percentage of baldness to be stable. Anyone got statistics on the percentage of men who were bald for say the past 2 centuries?

Guys, sometimes its nutrition

[linzeal]

I myself have eaten pretty poorly at times in my life, and that seems to be when my hair line begins to retreat the most prominently. The worst was when I weighed the least, and at 6'3" 165 lbs trying to be a vegan for the gf my hair line crawled back almost a full inch in 6 months, along with my first job; graveyard sysadmin and a few rough times in my life I have seen my hair come and go like the rest of you. The one thing that I can recommend eating 3-4 times a week is an egg, I like mine mixed with frozen veggies curry and some hot sauce. You know the old wives tail about giving dogs a 'shiny coat', well imho it works for human folk as well. Some people that think they are eating healthy aren't and some people don't realize how unhealthy the processed crap they are eating really is. Hey, I eat a hamburger or two a week from fast food places too (usually Burgerville), but that is a 'hamburger with double mustard' not the 1/4lb one with cheese, avocado and chili. I am glad for some of you that this economic downturn is letting you take a new look at life and getting realistic about the crap you put in your body, how that affects your well being and you will be surprised how much easier it is to be happier with it.

Re:Why on earth,,,

[halivar]

As a man "cursed" with male pattern baldness, I'll say here that going bald had a significant effect on my social standing, but not in the way you'd expect. Before, I had a thick mop of hair that would never comb right. After I started balding, I started shaving my head every morning. The general consensus among my acquaintances is that I look better now than I did before I was balding. It helps tremendously, of course, that Smallville is as popular a TV show as it is these days.

Men, do not fear the razor. The Gillete Mach 3 is your friend.

The actual number is much lower than that...

[rtilghman]

It's actually closer to 27% or so for "premature" baldness... that is, guys who aren't 60 years old with thinning hair. Not that it's definitive, but here's the Wiki page on the topic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldness [wikipedia.org]

First paragraph gives you the numbers.

Baldness is often cited in psych studies as one of those weird cultural perception items that people accept as very normal but which is actually more uncommon than you think.

Next time your in a public environment look around and do a count of the 20-50 men in the room who have hair loss (not a very slight receding of the hairline, but actual loss). You'll see that the majority of guys actually have their hair. It's weird when you realize just how much less common premature baldness is than you think it is.

rt

meh

[VVelox]

People who get worked up about going bald have issues. Go bald and don't worry about it.

Frag the combo over and squirrel wearing goat fragers.