Urinary Steroids in Men with Male-Pattern Alopecia
October 2002
in “
Journal of Biochemical and Biophysical Methods
”
![Image of study](/images/research/f850ca9f-8002-4614-a0f0-16de70138a80/medium/15427.jpg)
TLDR Men with male-pattern baldness have higher levels of certain testosterone metabolites and may have more active androgen metabolism.
In a 2002 study, researchers analyzed urinary steroid metabolites in 23 men with androgenic alopecia and compared them to 7 age-matched healthy controls. They discovered significantly higher levels of testosterone metabolites, including androsterone and etiocholanolone, as well as increased levels of 16-hydroxy-dehydroepiandrosterone and cortisol in the alopecia group, while cortisol metabolite levels were unchanged. An increased total 5α/5β metabolite ratio indicated higher 5α-reductase enzyme activity in patients. The elevated 16-OHD levels suggested possible mild hyperadrenal activity in some patients. These results suggest that increased androgen metabolism and 5α-reductase activity play a role in male-pattern baldness.