A scientific study has found a relationship between male pattern baldness and the likelihood of severe Covid-19 virus

An investigation by Applied Biology Inc., a biotechnology company in California, concluded that the risk of severe Covid-19 disease is 2.5 times higher in men with baldness compared to those with a full head of hair.

Male pattern baldness, or “male alopecia,” is a common form of genetically determined hair loss that affects about 50 percent of men over the age of 50.

It usually appears as hair thinning in the temporary areas of the scalp before it progresses to affect the crown as well.

The researchers found that Male patients with common biological signs related to hair loss appear to be significantly more likely to develop severe coronavirus infection.

specially, These men were more sensitive to male hormones known as androgens, which are also found in patients with androgenic alopecia..

The research team said the study results may open new possibilities for new treatments, and possibly even a cure for COVID-19.

Male pattern baldness is controlled by variations in the androgen receptor (AR) gene, which regulates the body’s sensitivity to androgens, the so-called “male hormones” that include testosterone and androstenedione.

Androgenic responses have also been linked to an enzyme known as TMPRSS2 that is believed to play a role in MERS infection.

The researchers were specifically motivated Study the link between the AR gene and severe COVID-19 after noting that a disproportionate number of men with androgenetic alopecia appear to be hospitalized with the Coronavirus.

Specifically, the team reported it About 79 percent of men with severe COVID-19 have the condition, compared to the range of 31 to 53 percent expected for men of the same age.

In their study, researchers measured the length of the polyglutamine repeat region (or CAG repeat) in the AR gene, which is associated with androgen sensitivity and male-pattern baldness, in 65 men who were hospitalized.

They found that men who repeated AR CAG had fewer than 22 nucleotides (the molecules that make up their DNA). They were significantly less likely to enter intensive care with COVID-19 than patients whose CAG count was 22 or higher.

“ Our data shows that longer AR CAG scores are associated with more severe disease than COVID-19Said medical researcher Andy Goren of Applied Biology, based in California.

He continued the results “They indicate that AR CAG repeat length can be used as a biomarker to help identify male COVID-19 patients at increased risk for ICU admission.”

He concluded, “The identification of the biomarker associated with the androgen receptor is another evidence highlighting the important role of androgens in the severity of COVID-19 disease.”

Dr. Goren and his team are also exploring a promising new treatment for COVID-19 patients that uses a so-called androgen receptor antagonist to regulate the expression of TMPRSS2, which could lead to a cure for the Coronavirus.

The full results of the study will be presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Spring Symposium in Spring 2021, which will be held from May 6-7.

“This research demonstrates the scientific value of dermatology by providing basic information on the role of genes and their link to COVID-19. Said Lydia Rudnica, board member of EADV and dermatologist at Warsaw Medical University.

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