TLDR Alzheimer's patients have higher levels of certain chemicals in their hair.
The study examined hair polyamine levels in 34 female participants, including 16 with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 18 healthy controls. It found that AD patients had significantly higher levels of putrescine, spermidine, and spermine in their hair compared to healthy controls, with putrescine at 173.01 ng/g versus 48.03 ng/g, spermidine at 1,082.71 ng/g versus 233.77 ng/g, and spermine at 1,973.22 ng/g versus 143.14 ng/g. The spermidine to spermine ratio was also lower in AD patients (0.66) compared to controls (1.86). These results suggested that elevated hair polyamine levels and a decreased Spd/Spm ratio could potentially serve as biomarkers for AD.
47 citations,
January 2001 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” High testosterone to epitestosterone ratio in hair could predict male-pattern baldness.
January 2020 in “International Journal of Applied Biology and P” Finasteride treatment for three years changes certain polyamine levels in the blood but not in urine.
3 citations,
July 2019 in “Experimental Dermatology” Hair loss patients may have different polyamine levels in various scalp areas.
July 2023 in “Developmental medicine and child neurology/Developmental medicine & child neurology” DFMO treatment improves hair growth, muscle tone, and development in Bachmann-Bupp syndrome patients.
1 citations,
November 2011 in “British journal of pharmacology” Enzymes are classified into six types and are essential for many biological processes, with only a few targeted by drugs.
30 citations,
July 2010 in “Experimental Dermatology” Polyamines are important for hair growth, but more research is needed to understand their functions and treatment potential.
