PARIS: Add enhanced risk of premature balding to the list of illnesses and indignities faced by diminutive men of European descent, according to a new study.
"It seems that men with a relatively shorter body height have a higher chance of losing their hair," University of Bonn professor Stefanie Heilmann-Heimbach, lead author of the study published Wednesday, told AFP.
"Our data indicates that some of the genes involved in baldness are associated, on average, with shorter stature."
Earlier research has shown that men with so-called male pattern baldness are also statistically more likely to suffer from heart disease and prostate cancer, though the added risk is slight.
Reduced body size and early onset of puberty are also linked with loss of hair for men.
Some of the same genes that regulate human height, it seems, also play a role in the emergence of these conditions and diseases.
The study, published in Nature Communications, identified 63 genetic variations "that increase the risk of premature hair loss," Heilmann-Heimbach said.
The researchers did not set out to find a link with height, she added.
Nor did they quantify the relative risk of baldness associated with different statures.
"Future studies that assess both hair loss and body height may be able to answer that question," she said by email.
But the statistical link was clear.
In men of European origin, balding usually starts in one's 30s. Up to 80 percent of European men are affected to some extent.
Hair loss in Asians comes about a decade later, and the overall frequence is much lower, impacting 50 to 60 percent men.
There is relatively little data on baldness in Africa, but male hair loss there seems even less frequent.
Some of the gene variants uncovered in the study "may constitute promising targets for therapeutic interventions," Heilmann-Heimbach said.
Short, white men more likely to go bald: study
Short, white men more likely to go bald: study
Essex man takes on charity endurance challenge for children in Gaza
- Mark Watson, 63, is undertaking a “virtual Sumud” journey from his Essex home town in Harlow to Gaza, covering 2,287 miles
LONDON: A man in England has launched a demanding charity challenge to raise funds for children affected by the war in Gaza.
Mark Watson, 63, is undertaking a “virtual sumud” journey from his Essex home town in Harlow to Gaza, covering 3,680 km running, walking, swimming, cycling and rowing.
He is raising money for Medical Aid for Palestinians, a UK-based humanitarian organization that provides healthcare to Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied territories.
“I have felt helpless day after day seeing images of countless children in Gaza with broken bodies and missing limbs and witnessing their unbearable suffering,” Watson said on his JustGiving page.
“I have been inspired by the courage of those who took part in the global sumud flotilla and all of the activists who have put their lives and freedom at risk supporting the Palestinian people and so I am raising funds for Medical Aid for Palestinians.
“My challenge is to complete a virtual sumud from Harlow, where I live, to Gaza. Running, walking, swimming, cycling and rowing I will cover the 2,287 miles as quickly as I can.
“I am an unfit, overweight 63-year-old, so I’m not going to break any records, but the Arabic word Sumud means steadfastness and perseverance, and I will give it my all.
Watson added: “I hope to be joined by people I love and admire along the way, so please support my fundraiser. Every donation, however small, will help save the lives of Palestinians.”
As of Jan. 3, his fundraising effort had reached 12 per cent of its £5,000 ($6,733) target.
The war in Gaza began after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on southern Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel responded with a large-scale military campaign in Gaza, which local health authorities say has resulted in the deaths of more than 71,000 Palestinians, widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and a severe humanitarian crisis.
International aid agencies have repeatedly said that children are among the most affected, facing injury, displacement, malnutrition and limited access to medical care.
Watson said he was inspired by activists and humanitarian efforts supporting Palestinians and hopes his challenge can make a small contribution to saving lives.
