Certain signs of aging could be a predictor for heart disease

A person’s risk of heart disease could be estimated by examining signs of aging such as hair loss or bags around the eyes, claim researchers in from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. They say such things can be used to determine the true biological age of a person as well as simply a numerical age.

The researchers say that if you have three to four signs of aging such as a receding hairline, baldness (particularly around the crown), earlobe crease or yellow fatty deposits around the eyelid, then you could have a 57% increased risk of a heart attack and a 39% increased risk of heart disease.
They further state that deposits of cholesterol beneath the skin named ‘xanthelasmata’ are one of the biggest signs that can predict the risk for both a heart attack and heart disease. These deposits usually appear as slightly yellow or skin-coloured lumps on the hands or ankles, and are an early sign of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH).

If you are unfamiliar with this term, it is a genetic defect that affects roughly 1 in every 500 of the population and causes them immediately from birth to be lacking in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors, which get rid of cholesterol from our blood. Because these people have high cholesterol from the moment they are born, they are at great risk from vascular diseases and hardening of the arteries, much earlier than normal. For anybody unfortunately who has FH, usually the most effective treatment is through statin therapy (e.g. Lipitor or Crestor). These medications decrease the production of LDL cholesterol by the liver, which in turn decreases LDL cholesterol blood levels by around 50%. There are around 120,000 sufferers in the UK and only 15% actually know they have the condition. Medical Specialists would advise everybody to visit their doctor who is able to perform a simple cholesterol check. If your cholesterol is abnormally high then they can suggest ways to best manage this, such as through statin medication.

For the recent study analysing heart risks, the Danish researchers looked at 10,885 people over 40 years of age. It was noted that 7,537 had fronto-parietal baldness - where the hairline is receding at the temples. Furthermore, 3,938 were suffering with crown top baldness. In addition, they also found that 3,405 had earlobe creases and 678 people had fatty deposits around their eyes.

A follow-up period was then carried out, spanning an incredible 35 years. The researchers, led by Professor Anne Tybjaerg-Hansen, found that 3,401 people had developed heart disease and 1,708 had suffered from a heart attack.

In the study – presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2012 – researchers explained how the quantity of greying hair, presence of wrinkles, the type and severity of baldness, and presence of earlobe crease and eyelid deposits were linked to a possible increased risk of heart problems.

Professor Tybjaerg-Hansen, said: “Checking these visible aging signs should be a routine part of every doctor’s physical examination. The visible signs of aging reflect physiologic or biological age, not chronological age, and are independent of chronological age.”

New genetic baldness treatment offers hope

Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania lead by Dr George Costarelis believe they may have found the reason why we go bald. Dr Costarelis and his dermatological team have discovered the enzyme Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) that is responsible for preventing hair follicles from maturing. The link between genetics and baldness has long been common knowledge but the cause has not.

When the team analysed the scalps of balding men, they found levels of PDG2 to be three times higher in areas in which the hair was thinning. The research suggests that PGD2 prevents the follicle cells from maturing, so blocking PGD2 would allow the hair to grow again.  Dr Costarelis found that bald men have cells capable of making hair, which adds weight to the argument that PGD2 is responsible for stopping otherwise healthy, capable cells of producing hair.

Back in March 2012 the journal Science Translational Medicine reported that in tests on mice the compound PGD2 stunted hair growth. Drugs that block this protein are already on the market as they are used to treat asthma and allergies, and that is good news according to Dr Costarelis: “The nice thing about dermatology and hair loss in general is that you can take compounds that maybe are being used as a pill, and put them into a topical formulation.”

Dr Costarelis went on to add: “We certainly think it would be good at preventing hair loss but we don’t know for sure that it would regrow”. Dr Costarelis has also announced this week that he is in talks with several pharmaceutical companies about developing a treatment that he says: “could be available in two years”.

Lab tests suggest the treatment may also help women who are losing their hair. Female hair loss carries an even greater stigma than the male condition, but is not as uncommon as many people believe. About 40 per cent of women suffer from some form of hair loss as a result of hormone changes during menopause.

For men this number is significantly higher, by the age of 50 nearly half of all men have some degree of male pattern baldness, a number which rockets to 70 per cent by the age of 70. It also seems that being famous or even royal doesn’t protect you from baldness. As we reported back in July 2012 Wayne Rooney and Louis Walsh have both undergone hair transplant procedures and in the news today Doctor Asim Shahmalak has predicted Prince William will be bald by the time he is 40.

While celebrities have undergone hair transplant procedures, these remain out of reach for most people due to their high price. In the meantime before this PGD2 blocker is released onto the market, there are licensed products on the market such as Propecia (Finasteride) and Regaine (Minoxydil) that have both been clinically proven to help with male hair loss.

Male hair loss DNA test can open the way for early preventive action

After renowned hair transplant surgeon Dr Bessam Farjo made headlines last month by performing what is believed to be the world’s first streaming of a hair transplant, he is now in the news again. Dr Farjo, who has clinics in Manchester and London, and boasts ex Manchester United footballer Clayton Blackmore as one of many celebrity clients, is offering the chance for men to take a simple test to see if they are likely to lose their hair.

The pioneering new idea that is carried out at Dr Farjo’s clinics is a £195 DNA test which involves taking a sample of saliva from inside the cheek. The sample then gets sent to a specialised laboratory in the U.S. where it is analysed for the presence of a gene that results in follicles to stop growing, thus resulting in hair loss. After just ten days, men can find out whether they are at risk of losing their hair.
Dr Farjo commented on the procedure and who could benefit, saying, “This test is useful for someone very young who has not yet started losing their hair but wants to have peace of mind or to do something about it if there’s a family history. A positive result means you have a 70 per cent chance of being significantly bald by the age of 40. That means you’d look in the mirror and say, “I’m bald”, not just thinning a little bit.”

Losing their precious locks is one of the biggest worries amongst the current generation of young males.  After leading celebrity figures such as Wayne Rooney and Louis Walsh openly admitted to undergoing hair transplant procedures last year, this has helped to shed some of the embarrassment-factor previously associated with the sensitive subject of male or female hair loss.

However, hair transplants are not a viable option for everybody in the current financial climate and can set you back thousands of pounds.  Other effective, inexpensive hair loss solutions include the medication Propecia. This therapy treats genetically inherited male pattern hair loss and works most effectively on the top of the head and the mid-scalp area. Propecia can slow down the hair loss on vertex and the anterior mid-scalp area, prevent further hair loss or in some cases, even re-grow hair. It is available from Medical Specialists Pharmacy working out from as little as £47.58 per month.

Other options include the increasingly popular Regaine Foam. Obtainable from Medical Specialists Pharmacy from as little as £46.45, this product contains the active ingredient Minoxidil which is clinically proven to help prevent further hereditary hair loss, showing success in 4 out of 5 men. It works by increasing the blood supply to the hair follicles which helps to strengthen existing hair and stimulate secondary hair growth. For most men, using Regaine even reverses the process, resulting in regrowth.

There are also emerging over the counter products that have been released in recent times. Alpecin Caffeine C1 Shampoo stimulates hair growth directly at the roots, strengthens weakened hair roots and prevents hereditary hair loss. In just in 2 minutes, the active ingredient travels along the hair shaft directly into the hair follicles. If the shampoo is left on for longer, the caffeine will also penetrate into the scalp.

Overall, it could be in men’s best interests to take Dr Farjo’s revolutionary test. For just £195 you will be able to have a much better idea of your chances of experiencing hair loss in the future, and take preventive action today through a number of different options such as those mentioned earlier.

L’Oreal experts develop new treatment for hair loss

Trichologists from Paris have discovered information that could possible pave the way for new methods of treating baldness. Head of hair biology Dr Bruno Bernard and his team at L’Oreal Paris underwent research and found that some hair follicles can become trapped in their resting or ‘sleeping’ state, which then means new hair is not grown and eventually will fall out. Usually hair strands grow for about four years before the follicles become dormant and the strand will fall out. As the follicles remain dormant, stem cells in the skin should begin to kick-start the procedure of growing new hair. However, this process is interrupted and fails to occur for people who are suffering from baldness.

The researchers however may not be able to completely halt the balding process forever; the hair follicles inevitably lose the ability to make new hair. For people who are looking a little thin on top, the future products the team are developing could come in handy and prevent you from having to do a dreaded ‘comb over’, using embarrassing wigs, or hugely expensive hair transplants. Of course, there are already many products available on the market right now that have been shown to effectively combat hair loss in both men and women, such as Propecia, Regaine, Alpecin caffeine shampoo, and Dianette for women – which can also be used for acne, hirsutism and contraceptive purposes.

Dr Bernard says that the company are exploring a treatment that can either be applied to your scalp in a cream or shampoo which may help in hair regrowth. He spoke out on the current developments and said, “Hair follicles exist in two stable states – either an active state or a dormant state. From time to time, they will jump from one state to another. Some of the follicles are just resting in the dormant state and are waiting for the right signal to make new hair. They are in a latency period. If you can reduce this latency period, you will have more hair. We have identified a compound and we are going to make a formulation of it that can be applied to the scalp to wake the follicle up from its sleeping state to the active state.”

David Bailey, a leading UK Trichologist and now retired said, “I can’t see how this treatment can help. There are basically three stages to the hair cycle: Anagen (growing phase), Catagen (resting phase) which lasts about three months, and Telogen (falling out phase). It would seem that this treatment works on shortening the Catagen phase, which is only three months, and would not stop the hair loss process which reduces the Anagen phase.”

At Medical Specialists Pharmacy we are fully aware of the impact both male and female pattern baldness can have on a person. It can be massively detrimental to one’s confidence and self-esteem. Male-pattern baldness is the most common type of hair loss, affecting 6.5 million men in the UK and an estimated 35 million in the U.S. In addition, it is believed there are 8 million women just in the UK who suffer from some degree of hair loss. As mentioned earlier, we offer a huge range of prescription and non-prescription treatments that can slow down the process of thinning hair, promote hair growth and help regain your confidence.

Tennis star Serena Williams spotted with bald patch on dinner date

The tennis ace is widely known for her extravagant fashion preferences, famously donning a black lycra cat suit during the 2002 US Open, and often alters her hair through the use of hair extensions. Unfortunately for Serena, it appears this regular use of extensions has damaged her natural hair and it seems she may be suffering from “traction alopecia”. This type of hair loss is caused primarily by force being applied to the hair, either through hair extensions, braiding, weaving, or even as the result of frequently having your hair in ponytails or pigtails. If caught and treated early, this type of hair loss is reversible. Other celebrities who are rumoured to have suffered hair loss as a result of hair extensions include Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and Naomi Campbell.

The former world number 1 women’s tennis star Serena Williams has sparked speculation that she may be going bald. The 30 year old and current world number 14, was on a late night dinner date in Hollywood with her socialite friend Brittny Gastineau.  She was making her way to her car when she went to move her curly locks away from her face, however in doing so exposed a large bald patch.
When asked, leading Trichologist (hair specialist) David Bailey said, “The hair loss seen on Serena Williams appears to the fronto-vertex region and is indicative of damage caused by traction from hair extensions. It may be that she is also or either suffering from Female Pattern Alopecia, which is due to a hormone imbalance. She should also get her Serum Ferritin levels checked also, as low levels of this can also cause hair loss in women.
For women who are experiencing problems with hair loss, at Medical Specialists we can help you. We offer a numerous array of options best suited to your needs.  Available without a prescription, from our Chemist Shop, you can now purchase Regaine for Women. This is specially formulated containing a 20mg/ml of the active ingredient Minoxidil – a clinically proven treatment and is applied direct to the scalp to treat women’s thinning hair.
In addition, with a prescription or via a consultation with one of our Doctors, you can buy Dianette now at even lower prices. Studies have shown that Dianette used for 6-9 months clearly decreases hair loss and hair thinning. Dianette has an ability to block androgen activity at the pilosebaceous unit. Because of this ability, Dianette can successfully be used to treat Androgenetic Alopecia or scalp hair loss in women caused by androgen activity. Dianette has been shown to stop further female pattern hair loss and increase hair thickness within about a year of regular use.