There's been some talk about IGF-1 and hair growth that I'd
like to see some comments on. It's been said that high
levels of IGF-1 in the blood may downregulate receptors for
it in the periphery, especially in places like the scalp.
Simply adding IGF-I hasn't been a successful treatment
strategy in other disorders, however there's a recent
abstract indicating that using IGF-I RNA can be useful.
It is reported that the present treatment for male-pattern
baldness is not very effective and that male pattern
baldness may be caused by insulin resistance, and that a
diet high in sugar and flour may cause irreversible hair
loss. A study in the journal Lancet shows that male pattern
baldness may well be caused by insulin resistance. Male
pattern baldness means loss of hair on the top and front of
the head, but not the sides. Insulin resistance means that a
person cannot respond well to insulin causing both men and
women to have very high blood levels of insulin. When you
eat, your blood sugar level rises... To keep blood sugar
levels from rising too high, your pancreas releases insulin
which drives sugar from the blood into your cells. Some
people respond poorly to insulin so their blood sugar levels
rise too high and then they produce way too much insulin
that causes man and women to lose hair.
Men who are at high risk for male-pattern baldness have the
same characteristics as those who are likely to develop
diabetes. They store fat primarily in their bellies, rather
than their hips, have high blood triglyceride levels, have
low blood levels of the good HDL cholesterol that prevents
heart attacks, have a family history of diabetes, and are at
high risk for suffering a heart attack and eventually
developing diabetes.
A recent study from Johns Hopkins shows that men who lose
their hair early have high blood levels of insulin like
growth factor-1, a hormone that the body produces in
response to high blood sugar levels. Women who have a
condition called polycystic ovary syndrome suffer from male-
pattern baldness, have high blood insulin levels and can
often be cured by taking medication to lower blood sugar
levels and restricting foods that raise blood sugar the
most, such as those with added sugar, bakery products,
pastas and fruit juices. Eat root vegetables and fruits with
other foods, and eat plenty of vegetables, whole grains,
beans, seeds and nuts.
As for me, my mother had Type II diabetes, so I regularly
check my serum glucose with one of those home meters.
My numbers are always good, almost on the low end of the
reference range. So my question is: can someone have
Insulin Resistance while at the same time not have elevated
blood sugar ?
I'm 40, NW 4-5, slightly elevated trigs, low HDL,
typical BP of
130/80, a slight belly...