Body Composition Parameters, Carotid Intima Media Thickness and Epicardial Fat Thickness in Male Patients with Androgenetic Alopecia

The study compared 64 male patients with Androgenetic Alopecia (AGA) to 67 age-matched healthy controls and found that AGA patients had higher body composition parameters such as fat percentage, degree of obesity, metabolic age, BMI, and visceral fat. Echocardiographic measurements indicated that AGA patients also had larger left atrium diameter and thicker interventricular septal and posterior walls. A strong positive correlation was observed between epicardial fat thickness (EFT) and various measures of obesity, while a strong negative correlation existed between EFT and fat-free mass, muscle mass, and body water. Despite these findings, no significant differences were found in carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and EFT between the two groups. The study suggests that the association between visceral fat and cardiovascular risks is supported by the correlation found, but the lack of significant differences in CIMT and EFT may be due to the small sample size and the young age of the participants. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is proposed as a beneficial non-invasive method to detect early subclinical atherosclerosis and prediabetes.