Prospective Cardiovascular Evaluation with 24-Hour Holter and Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in Men Using 5-mg Oral Minoxidil for Androgenetic Alopecia

The study evaluated the cardiovascular effects of 5-mg oral minoxidil, a treatment for androgenetic alopecia, in 34 healthy men aged 21 to 58 years over a 24-week period. The study used 24-hour Holter monitoring and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Four participants dropped out due to side effects or unrelated reasons. At the end of the study, 20.6% of participants reported headaches, 2.9% reported vertigo, and another 2.9% reported edema. No symptomatic cardiovascular outcomes were observed. The mean arterial pressure slightly reduced at the end of the study period while awake, but no overall change in the mean heart rate occurred. The study concluded that 24 weeks of low-dose oral minoxidil was safe in men with androgenetic alopecia, with no significant alterations in their biochemical profile, heart rate, or blood pressure.