Uric acid and Stroke

This is Dr Proctor's paper on the relationship between uric acid and stroke. The same processes modulating hair loss also likely figure in stroke. Similarly, many agents that are effective in hair loss treatment are also effective in experimental models of stroke.

Singh G.Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2002;68:40

Androgenic alopecia ( hair loss ) genetically-determined., The exact mode of inheritance is unknown. The shortening of the anagen phase of the hair cycle leads to the consequent increase in the proportion of telogen hairs. Autosomal dominant inheritance with increased penetrance in males had been suggested, but there are reports of multifactorial inheritance as well. The role of androgen along with their interaction with genetic factors is demonstrated in men, but in women baldness is often associated with elevated levels of circulating androgens, the factor determining Pattern hair loss is how the follicles of the scalp react to the circulating androgens.

Dr Proctor treats hair loss

Dermatologica. 1987;175 Suppl 2:36-41.

Topical minoxidil in extensive alopecia areata, including 3-year follow-up.
Price VH.

Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, San Francisco, Calif.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of topical minoxidil is the fact that this drug can promote hair regrowth in two unrelated conditions: alopecia areata (AA) and androgenetic alopecia (male pattern hairloss ). snip... In androgenetic alopecia, genetically marked hair follicles undergo progressive, androgen-mediated miniaturization; antiandrogens have been conventionally sought to intercept this process. It is not known how minoxidil promotes hair regrowth except that living follicles capable of stimulation and hypertrophy are required. It may be that minoxidil influences some fundamental signal for regrowth to the follicular apparatus, ...snip... While topical minoxidil is not very effective for those with 100% scalp hair loss, it is an effective, easy and safe treatment for those with AA affecting 25-99% of the scalp.

Dermatologica. 1987;175 Suppl 2:29-35.

Immunohistochemical characterization of the cellular infiltrate in severe alopecia areata before and after minoxidil treatment.

Fiedler VC,

The mechanism of minoxidil-induced hair regrowth in the treatmen of alopecia areata hair loss (AA) is unknown. In vitro studies suggest that pharmacologic tissue levels of minoxidil may have both epithelial and T cell effects.snip...Nonresponders (that is peoe with no hair regrowth) showed none of these changes. Biopsies from 34 patients subsequently treated with oral minoxidil 5 mg q. 12 h showed no further changes in perifollicular total T, helper-inducer T or suppressor-cytotoxic T cell counts; they did, however, demonstrate significant decreases in perifollicular Langerhans cell and activated T cell counts, and nearly significant decreases in perifollicular monocyte counts. It is possible that minoxidil may be altering a presumed follicular chemoattractive stimulus to a variety of cell types. Decreases in activated T cell counts suggest the possibility of direct immunomodulatory effects of minoxidil on T cells which might contribute to a hair regrowth response in AA.

Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd.1988;48:203

Hormonal diagnosis in so-called androgenetic alopecia (pattern hair loss) in the female

Moltz L.

Androgenetic alopecia or pattern hair loss occurs quite frequently. Up to 79% of women suffer at least temporarily from varying degrees of intermittent diffuse hair loss in the centro-parietal and/or fronto-temporal regions. A.A. is caused by an androgen excess acting on the hair follicle for prolonged periods of time in the presence of a genetic predisposition. However, often hyperandrogenemia cannot be demonstrated in such patients. 125 women with clinically typical a.A. were investigated prospectively under standardized conditions. Patient age ranged from 18 to 68 years. Atypical uterine bleeding such as menorrhagia, hypermenorrhea and polymenorrhea were found in 69 women. The hair loss varied between 50 and 400 hairs per day. Additional signs of hyperandrogenism, i.e. seborrhea, acne and hirsutism, were often observed. snip.. Treatment was directed at normalizing the disturbed estrogen-androgen-balance. Using low-dose antiandrogens, estrogens, prolactin suppressants, corticoids, iron-II-preparations as well as estrogen-containing hair lotions hair loss was arrested in 74 of 104 treated women, while regrowth of hair was accomplished in 16 patients. 14 women did not respond to therapy.

edited for use in hairloss blog