Male Pattern Baldness and Prostate Cancer Risk in a Population-Based Case-Control Study

The study investigated the link between male pattern baldness (MPB) and prostate cancer (PCa) risk, involving 999 PCa cases and 942 controls. It found that early-onset MPB at age 30 was associated with a 29% reduced relative risk of PCa, with a more pronounced 40% reduction in men over 60. No significant risk reduction was observed for hair loss reported only one year before the reference age. The findings suggested a potential mechanistic link between MPB and PCa, warranting further research, and highlighted the potential of early-onset MPB as a phenotypic marker for lower PCa risk. However, limitations such as recall and selection bias were noted.