Early-Onset Male Androgenetic Alopecia and Metabolic Syndrome: Are They Associated?

This document is a summary of four different studies that investigated the association between early-onset male androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and metabolic syndrome (MetS). The studies found that there is a significant association between early-onset male AGA and MetS, and patients with early-onset AGA should be screened for MetS. The severity of AGA grade was positively associated with increasing age. The most common grades of AGA were grades III and IV with the presence of MetS. Men with severe vertex baldness, hypertension, and high cholesterol levels had a higher risk of myocardial infarction before the age of 60 years. Screening for components of MetS by the dermatologist in patients with early-onset male AGA could prove useful for detection of at-risk individuals and for initiation of preventive therapy before cardiovascular disease develops.