Androgenetic Alopecia as an Early Marker of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

A study conducted in 2012 found a relationship between androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and prostate growth-associated urinary symptoms, which may be attributable to their pathophysiological similarity. The study suggests that early-onset AGA may be an early marker of urinary/prostatic symptomatology. The study was an observational case-control study of 87 men: 45 with early-onset AGA diagnosed in the dermatology department and 42 control subjects. The groups did not significantly differ in mean age. Patients with AGA had significantly higher mean prostate volume, International Prostate Symptom Score, and prostate-specific antigen value and significantly lower maximum urinary flow versus control subjects. Binary logistic regression analysis showed a strong association between the presence of AGA and benign prostatic hyperplasia after adjusting for age, urinary volume, urination time, International Prostate Symptom Score, abdominal obesity, glucose levels, systolic blood pressure, insulin levels, fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein.