Changes in Hair Color Could Indicate Heart Disease

According to Egyptian cardiologist Dr. Irini Samuel, gray hair could mean more than just aging, it’s an indicator of raised coronary artery disease, at least in men IFLScience.com reports. 

In a study that involved 545 men who were all in the hospital for CT coronary angiographs, Samuel, of Cairo University, had their hair color assessed on a scale of 1-5. Because the study was conducted in Egypt, the men had started with very dark hair, “and 1 indicated pure black hair, while 5 meant their hair was entirely gray or white.” Data regarding the participants smoking, family history, high blood pressure, and diabetes – all well known indicators of coronary risk. 

“Aging is an unavoidable coronary risk factor and is associated with dermatological signs that could signal increased risk. More research is needed on cutaneous signs of risk that would enable us to intervene earlier in the cardiovascular disease process,” Samuel said in a statement. 

While men with grayer hair were more likely to be older, the study controlled for age and still found scores of 3 or above were associated with higher rates of coronary artery disease and coronary artery calcification. 

“Samuel hopes further reserach on genetic and environmental causes of the timing of graying may help explain the connection.” She also believes that a similar study should be applied to women.