Written by guest author Eve Pearce
It really is no secret that as we age, our bodies change and the way we look (not to mention the way we feel) alters radically. The US population now needs a greater standard of senior care as more people find themselves living to a greater age and in need of access to medications and other therapies. Heart disease is still one of the biggest causes for concern, not just in the US, but worldwide and finding ways of detecting and treating it before it becomes a real issue can be highly important in saving lives. However, there is one little known factor that many people aren’t aware of – one that could potentially be a sign of coronary issues that need tackling.
Could Hair Loss Be A Sign That You’re Destined For Heart Trouble?
It would certainly seem to be the case. According to statistics, in the US alone, men who are aged fifty or over have an eighty-five percent chance of developing hair loss, or indeed an increase in the amount of thinning and shedding of the hair follicles when they wash or comb their hair. In men, it is known as male pattern baldness and will tend to affect the areas on the head around the temples and the front. Women can experience this phenomena too – for them, it is called androgenic alopecia and can typically cause thinning around the parting of the hair. For women, it can also result in not only hair loss from the head, but hair growth in other areas of the body such as on the face, chest and abdomen.
What Connects The Issues?
There are also some well researched scientific studies to suggest that hair loss and heart disease may go hand in hand. There are a number of factors connecting the two issues, and it has been suggested that one of the main reasons they are tied together is because there could well be a correlation between the two conditions and illnesses like hypertension, insulin resistance and a sensitivity to the amount of male hormones within the body (usually testosterone). As we age and our bodies begin to slow down, all these problems can start to become more prevalent depending on the state of our overall health, our weight and our genetic makeup. The sooner the causes of hair loss are understood, the sooner it can be established as to whether there are any underlying issues with the heart. Here are the three main issues explained a little more in-depth.
Higher levels of male hormones: Sometimes men can find they are susceptible to an increase in the amount of testosterone in their systems. Once testosterone reaches a certain level in the body it actually converts to a chemical called Dihydrotestosterone. This, in turn, sets off a reaction whereby the hair follicles will start to shed, male pattern baldness will occur and maintaining new hair growth will become more difficult. This relates to heart disease because the same chemicals that convert the testosterone to Dihydrotestosterone cause narrowing of the arteries and potentially create high blood pressure too.
Blood sugar problems: As we age, we are sometimes prone to putting weight on which can be hard to shift and create other health issues. One problem of weight gain can be an increased risk of developing insulin resistance – this is particularly prevalent if the weight gain is around the middle of the body and the waist (in some people this is called Cushing’s Syndrome). When someone experiences problems with insulin resistance it can lead to problems with their circulation, which means that blood cannot properly pump itself round the body, nor distribute the goodness and nutrients from the food we eat. This, in turn, can lead to narrowing of the hair follicles, hair fall and problems with the heart.
Bodily inflammation: If you are generally in a state of poor health, whether through being overweight, through being over-worked and stressed or through other health conditions, you may be more susceptible to inflammation within the body. Inflammation can affect all the organs, but most especially the heart. The heart can find it’s arteries become narrowed and furred up as a result of this, which again means that the blood cannot be pumped efficiently round the system – resulting in side effects such as hair loss.
Putting An End to Hair Loss
There are many treatments on the market which can claim to help hair loss, they can be prescribed by the Doctor or bought over the counter, but it is always better to find out the underlying cause, rather than simply treating it first without really knowing why it is happening. If you are a male (or female) over fifty years of age and suddenly experience these symptoms – get yourself checked out straight away and try to get treatment. There are also many simple, easy steps you can take to keep yourself in check and make sure that the problem does not worsen.
Quit smoking: Stopping smoking will not only greatly improve your breathing and general fitness, but it will also mean that your heart stands a better chance of being able to work properly, with the arteries less likely to fur. It takes only a few months of quitting smoking to improve your breathing, your fitness and return your lungs to working order.
Reduce drinking: Most Doctors would argue that a moderate amount of alcohol is good for you. One small glass of red wine a day is full of antioxidants, which can help with heart and blood health. However, drinking to excess is likely to create problems with uptake of nutrients from food, insulin resistance and weight gain.
Exercise: It is sensible to try and aim for thirty minutes of gentle exercise three times a week. This can be something as simple as a walk around the block, swimming a few lengths of the pool or even gentle weight training under supervision. All these will help to relax you, improve sleep and help with weight loss (when undertaken with the right diet).
The right diet: Of course, we all know what we need to eat – we need to take in less saturated fat, salt and sugar. We need to increase the amounts of fresh fruits, vegetables and pulses we eat and also make sure we eat whole grains and slow-release carbohydrates rather than simple, over-processed white goods like sugary cakes and biscuits. Anyone suffering from heart problems and hair loss might find they benefit from a regular fish oil supplement – or at least two portions of good quality oily fish such as sardines, mackerel or halibut in their diet every week.
- Eating Right is Eating Well - March 15, 2019
- Ginger – March Resident of the Month - March 1, 2019
- Tracy Williams – March Employee of the Month - March 1, 2019
