male pattern baldness and family history !

[Bismarck]

This has been asked so often. Here's the abstract of a new study that summarizes the genetical influence:


Family history and risk of hair loss.

Chumlea WC, Rhodes T, Girman CJ, Johnson-Levonas A, Lilly FR, Wu R, Guo SS.

Department of Community Health, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio, USA.

INTRODUCTION: The genetic basis of androgenetic alopecia (Androgenetic Alopecia) is well accepted in the medical community and among the general population. However, rigorous studies investigating the familial basis of Androgenetic Alopecia are lacking. The purpose of the current study was to explore the relationship between family history and expression of Androgenetic Alopecia in a sample of men from the general community. METHODS: Hair loss was assessed by an independent observer trained by an expert dermatologist using the Norwood/Hamilton classification scale and a 7-point global description of hair loss. Men were classified into two groups, one as having little or no hair loss and the other having hair loss. The family history of hair loss in parents and grandparents was assessed by subject self-report. RESULTS: Adjusting for age, men whose fathers had hair loss were 2.5 times as likely to have had some level of hair loss compared to men whose fathers had no hair loss (95% CI: 1.3-4.9). Likewise, men whose fathers had hair loss were twice as likely to have hair loss than men whose fathers had no hair loss even after adjusting for age (OR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.2-3.7 and OR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.4-4.7 for Norwood/Hamilton and global description of hair loss assessments, respectively). CONCLUSION: Results suggest that the probability of male pattern hair loss is dependent on family history and age. Hair loss in a man's father also appears to play an important role in increasing a man's risk of hair loss, either in conjunction with a history of hair loss in the mother or hair loss in the maternal grandfather. Copyright 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel

PMID: 15237265 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

[stax]

So what is this saying that if your moms dad is bald you will follow the same pattern as him? or possibly just your dads?. Generations can always be skipped and out of my 4 uncles 2 of them have their hair and there moms dad was bald so its really weird i guess. I have 3 cousins who are brothers and 1 of them is bald and the other 2 have their hair. I guess its just the luck of the draw.

 

[chewbaca]

...can somone summarise the above?....on my mother's side i dont have anyone balding.....my father's side i dont know as i have no contact with them.my father passed away at yung age.......lets assume my father or his side has male pattern baldness....what are my % chances of getting it? lets say my father's side dont have it, what are my % chances of getting it

Hair loss in a man's father also appears to play an important role in increasing a man's risk of hair loss, either in conjunction with a history of hair loss in the mother or hair loss in the maternal grandfather

what does this mean?.....it states in conjunction...the prob is none is balding on my mother's side.at the most only temple recede of my granddad but he still had hair at 50+ ages...where do i stand now?

 

[rapidfrontal]

Nobody in my family has ever been bald that can be remembered by any family member which goes back to at least my great grandparents on both sides. My Grandfather's (on Father's side) brother had significant recession in his temples in his 70's, but a long way from being bald. My brother, however, went rapidly bald in his early 20's and was slick bald by 30. I am 34 and am possibly about to join him. What are the chances of that?! All this talk of family genes only applys in general. In any one case all bets are off-anything can happen!

 

[chewbaca]

i am sure many people are beginning to have doubts about such studies cause most of them are speculative....I think there's one other factor involved other than genes or it could even be not genes but something else yet to be discovered...the findings in the study could be merely co incidental and may be misleading...think about it , they have just analysed a bunch of people and came up with conclusions...in both cases with history or none, there isnt anything to verify the conclusion in question..it didnt state that men with no history didnt suffer from hairloss.....so i think the credibility of study is in doubt

 

[Bismarck]

i am sure many people are beginning to have doubts about such studies cause most of them are speculative....I think there's one other factor involved other than genes or it could even be not genes but something else yet to be discovered...the findings in the study could be merely co incidental and may be misleading...think about it , they have just analysed a bunch of people and came up with conclusions...in both cases with history or none, there isnt anything to verify the conclusion in question..it didnt state that men with no history didnt suffer from hairloss.....so i think the credibility of study is in doubt

You can submit your own paper, to Medical Hypotheses for example.
I will award you with the HairDot Medal.

 

[The Gardener]

LOL.. Well... some people didn't believe Copernicus either, Biz...

 

[chewbaca]

instead of ridiculing me.....why dont u do someting more important like considering and pondering about the study above?.....the study didnt conclusively prove that men with no history didnt suffer any hair loss....how do u explain that?....so the study stands in no man's land...

 

[not me!]

instead of ridiculing me.....why dont u do someting more important like considering and pondering about the study above?.....the study didnt conclusively prove that men with no history didnt suffer any hair loss....how do u explain that?....so the study stands in no man's land...

Easy, muscles. I think what the "rib" was intended to say that there isn't any conclusive proof that male pattern baldness can be attributed to anything but genetics. We've all heard speculation and rumors but scientific data continouosly points to heredity.

 

[Bismarck]

instead of ridiculing me.....why dont u do someting more important like considering and pondering about the study above?.....the study didnt conclusively prove that men with no history didnt suffer any hair loss....how do u explain that?....so the study stands in no man's land...

The study does not want to prove anything it just summarizes statistical data. So how can it prove anything? It suggests that the probability of suffering from male pattern baldness is dependent on age and family history. This is very common for epidemiological studies and helps to drive research into the right direction.

 

[chewbaca]

instead of ridiculing me.....why dont u do someting more important like considering and pondering about the study above?.....the study didnt conclusively prove that men with no history didnt suffer any hair loss....how do u explain that?....so the study stands in no man's land...

Easy, muscles. I think what the "rib" was intended to say that there isn't any conclusive proof that male pattern baldness can be attributed to anything but genetics. We've all heard speculation and rumors but scientific data continouosly points to heredity.

Instead of analysing a bunch of people , they need to dissect the the genes with make up these people and compare them......first they need to identify the genes themselves....i guess that's the ideal way to go about things....if in fact the inheritance issue is true,they still havent found out if male pattern baldness is attibuted to Genes in the genetic line that can stretch back as far as a few hundred years earlier..for all u know u might find someone who looks like your twin in the Egyptian paharaoh age if u travel back in time in search of yr ancestors.......


The study may prove useful in driving research in the right direction but it should not be in any case considered the the true reason for male pattern baldness...

 

[drinkrum]

Instead of analysing a bunch of people , they need to dissect the the genes with make up these people and compare them......first they need to identify the genes themselves....i guess that's the ideal way to go about things....if in fact the inheritance issue is true,they still havent found out if male pattern baldness is attibuted to Genes in the genetic line that can stretch back as far as a few hundred years earlier..for all u know u might find someone who looks like your twin in the Egyptian paharaoh age if u travel back in time in search of yr ancestors.......


The study may prove useful in driving research in the right direction but it should not be in any case considered the the true reason for male pattern baldness...

Listen Einstein. No one claimed the study had found the "true reason for male pattern baldness". It was posted to show that there is genetic relevance in male pattern baldness. That's it. Now, I guess you're off to Cairo? Remember to bring a water bottle!

D.