World Hair Research

There is a link between hair loss and Insulin resistance, glucose intolerance and IGF-1.

The studies below show that men with vertex balding had increased (higher) levels of circulating Insulin Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) and decreased (lower) levels of circulating Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 (IGFBP-3).

J Am Acad Dermatol. 1999 Feb;40(2 Pt 1):200-3. “Hormones and hair patterning in men: a role for insulin-like growth factor 1?”

evaluated the function of “sex steroids”, “sex hormone-binding globulin” (SHBG), and “insulin-like growth factor” (IGF-1) in determining hair-loss patterning in men. This study found that “for each 59 ng/mL increase in IGF-1, the odds of having vertex baldness doubled” and that “Testosterone, SHBG, and IGF-1 may be important in determining hair patterning in men.”

J Am Acad Dermatol. 2000 Jun;42(6):1003-7. “Vertex balding, plasma insulin-like growth factor 1, and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3″ Found that  “Older men with vertex balding have lower circulating levels of IGFBP-3 and higher levels of IGF-1 when controlling for IGFBP-3 level.”

A link between IGF-1 and glucose intolerance / insulin resistance

Studies suggest that insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and IGF binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) could be important determinants of glucose homoeostasis. The study below indicates that low IGF-1 levels are associated with the development of insulin resistance and provides “further evidence for the possible protective role of IGF-I against development of glucose intolerance.”

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-::- Note: The below is published here for archival purposes -::-
Thanks to medscape.com for this invaluable article

Insulin Resistance

Background

Insulin resistance is a state in which a given concentration of insulin produces a less-than-expected biological effect. Insulin resistance has also been arbitrarily defined as the requirement of 200 or more units of insulin per day to attain glycemic control and to prevent ketosis.

The syndromes of insulin resistance actually make up a broad clinical spectrum, which includes obesity, glucose intolerance, diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome, as well as an extreme insulin-resistant state. Many of these disorders are associated with various endocrine, metabolic, and genetic conditions. These syndromes may also be associated with immunological diseases and may exhibit distinct phenotypic characteristics.

The metabolic syndrome —a state of insulin-resistance that is also known as either syndrome X or the dysmetabolic syndrome—has drawn the greatest attention because of its public health importance.

In an effort to clinically identify patients with insulin resistance, various organizations have developed diagnostic criteria. The most commonly used criteria in the United States are those of the National Cholesterol Education Program/Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP/ATP III).

• NCEP/ATP III criteria for the diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome include the following (diagnosis is made when 3 or more are present):
  • Waist circumference of more than 102 cm in men or more than 88 cm in women
  • Fasting triglyceride level of 150 mg/dL or higher
  • Blood pressure level of 130/85 mm Hg or higher
  • High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level of less than 40 mg/dL in men or less than 50 mg/dL in women
  • Fasting glucose level of 110 mg/dL or higher (which has been changed to 100 mg/dL to reflect revised criteria for impaired fasting glucose [IFG])

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