Male pattern baldness could be connected to rare genetic variants, study finds

BOSTON – A new study may help explain why some men lose their hair.

Male pattern baldness is the most common form of hair loss in men. In fact by age 60, about two-thirds are either bald or have a balding pattern. 

Male pattern baldness is often inherited but which genes are involved is not completely understood. 

Scientists at the University of Bonn in the U.K. analyzed the genetic sequences of more than 72,000 males and identified rare genetic variants in five genes significantly associated with the condition. 

They hope this discovery will help researchers better understand what causes hair loss, and who is at risk, and will eventually lead to the development of more effective treatments.

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Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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