Faculty Opinions Recommendation of Androgenetic Alopecia as an Early Marker of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
TLDR Hair loss can be an early sign of prostate enlargement.
This document discusses a study that examined the association between androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Previous studies had already shown a link between these two conditions, but they mainly focused on older populations with existing BPH. In this study, the researchers evaluated a younger population of AGA patients before the onset of urinary symptoms. They used objective measures such as ultrasound and urinary flowmetry to assess urinary symptoms. The study found that AGA patients had higher prostate volume, lower urinary flow, and higher prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values compared to normal controls, confirming the association between AGA and BPH. The authors suggest that dermatologists should monitor AGA patients for the development of urinary symptoms. However, further confirmation and larger studies are needed to validate these findings.