Grey Hair Linked with Increased Heart Disease Risk in Men

Grey hair has been linked with an increased risk of heart disease in men.

Grey hair. Image credit: Timbrauhn/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Atherosclerosis and hair greying share similar mechanisms such as impaired DNA repair, oxidative stress, inflammation, hormonal changes and senescence of functional cells.

This study performed at Cairo University, Egypt, assessed the prevalence of grey hair in patients with coronary artery disease and whether it was an independent risk marker of disease.

This was a prospective, observational study which included 545 adult men who underwent multi-slice computed tomography (CT) coronary angiography for suspected coronary artery disease. Patients were divided into subgroups according to the presence or absence of coronary artery disease, and the amount of grey/white hair.

Data was collected on traditional cardiovascular risk factors including hypertension, diabetes, smoking, dyslipidaemia, and family history of coronary artery disease.

The researchers found that a high hair whitening score was associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease independent of chronological age and established cardiovascular risk factors.

Patients with coronary artery disease had a statistically significant higher hair whitening score and higher coronary artery calcification than those without coronary artery disease.

In multivariate regression analysis, age, hair whitening score, hypertension and dyslipidaemia were independent predictors of the presence of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. Only age was an independent predictor of hair whitening.

Irrespective of chronological age, hair greying indicates biological age and could be a warning sign of increased cardiovascular risk. Asymptomatic patients at high risk of coronary artery disease should have regular check-ups to avoid early cardiac events by initiating preventive therapy. (Tasnim News Agency)

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