Could Doctors Predict Hair Loss Before Prescribing GLP-1 Drugs? Researchers See a Path
New research links higher GLP-1 receptor activity to male-pattern baldness, suggesting rapid weight loss may not be the only factor involved.
Hair thinning among GLP-1 users has often been blamed on the rapid weight lossthat can come with the drugs. But researchers at NYU Langone Health found that genetic variants linked to greater activity of the GLP-1 receptor were also associated with androgenetic alopecia, the inherited form of hair loss better known as male-pattern baldness.
Androgenetic alopecia is extremely common. According to a press release about the study, it affects roughly half of White American men over age 50, as well as nearly half of White American women over 50, particularly those who are postmenopausal.
The new finding raises the possibility that the GLP-1 receptor pathway itself may play a role in hair loss among genetically susceptible men, rather than weight loss being the only explanation.
And if future research confirms the connection, researchers say doctors could one day screen patients for their risk of hair loss before prescribing a GLP-1 medication.
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The study’s findings
For the study, published online Thursday in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, researchers used a technique called two-sample Mendelian randomization. The method uses naturally occurring genetic differences to investigate whether one biological factor may contribute to another.
In this case, researchers compared genetic variants associated with higher expression of the GLP-1 receptor with genetic data on androgenetic alopecia.
They found that genetically predicted higher GLP-1 receptor activity was associated with an approximately 7 percent higher odds of male-pattern hair loss. The association remained even after researchers accounted for other factors that can contribute to hair loss, including BMI, blood pressure, and lower testosterone.
Source: www.inc.com
