There is a new genetic test to determine your risk for male pattern baldness. The test looks for a genetic marker on the X chromosome. Men who carry a specific androgen receptor gene variant are at a 60% risk of going bald by the age of 40 according to several studies. Men who carry the less common genetic variant of the same androgen receptor gene have a greater than 85% chance of not going bald before the age of 40. It has been determined that 95% of bald men carry the high risk variant in studies to date.
What does all this mean?
Androgenic alopecia is a multifactorial or polygenic condition. To date there appear to be 4 major genes that determine the age of onset, rate of progression, and eventual pattern. Androgenic alopecia is not X linked and not due to a single gene. Therefore, this test does not rule out or rule in the risk that you will eventually suffer from androgenic alopecia.
This test is a predictor, however of the possibility of future hair loss due to androgenic alopecia. One may couple the test with other subtle signs of androgenic alopecia such as miniaturization of the hair shaft diameter, loss of hair shaft color, and eventually overt signs of thinning.
This test may help individuals and physicians institute medical therapy for patients with hair loss. Certainly it helps to identify those at an increased risk of male pattern baldness and potentially begin medical treatment at an earlier stage. Medical therapy has been shown to be more affective in maintaining one’s hair when instituted earlier for those who suffer from androgenic alopecia.
We offer this diagnostic test for 225.00 plus shipping. We will send this test to you and subsequently inform you of the test results. The test is called Hairdx. Please notify us if you would like us to send you this genetic test.
