Both Low Circulating Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 and High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Are Associated with Hair Loss in Middle-Aged Women

In a study involving 323 middle-aged women with an average age of 61.5 years, researchers discovered that both low levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were linked to an increased risk of hair loss. The data showed that for each one standard deviation increase in HDL cholesterol and IGF-1, the risk of hair loss decreased by factors of 0.65 and 0.68, respectively. Women with IGF-1 and HDL cholesterol levels below the median faced a 3.47 times greater risk of hair loss. These results indicate that low HDL cholesterol and IGF-1 are independent risk factors for hair loss in middle-aged women. However, the study's observational nature and the delay between serum collection and hair loss assessment were limitations, and further research is needed to confirm these findings and explore the underlying mechanisms.