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Hair Loss News Archives
October 2010
New Genetic Androgen Sensitivity Test Helps Predict Finasteride Response in Female Hair Loss Sufferers
Bauman Medical Group is one of first to provide finasteride test for women
Oct 2010
A new simple genetic test could help tens of millions of female hair
loss suffers determine whether or not finasteride (brand name:
Propecia) may be an effective treatment for them to regain lost
hair.
Although finasteride remains the primary FDA-approved treatment for
male pattern hair loss, doctors have been reluctant to prescribe it
'off-label' for women with hereditary hair loss (androgenetic
alopecia or AGA) due to the risk of potential birth defects in sons
of women of childbearing age and conflicting studies regarding its
effectiveness.
However, anecdotal reports in the medical literature
of the successful treatment of women with finasteride have spurred
scientists to develop a new test to help doctors more accurately
select female patients who might respond to the treatment.
"We know that finasteride is 90-percent effective for male pattern
hair loss, but we've seen only about a 50/50 chance of success with
our female patients," said Alan J. Bauman, M.D., a board-certified
hair restoration surgeon whose practice is divided equally between
male and female patients. "Prior to this test, we've taken the
wait-and-see approach with female patients.
For those women who did not respond well to the
treatment, it was a waste of time and money. This new test will be a
tremendous asset in our fight against female hair loss, as we now
have a scientific way of predicting how a woman may respond to
finasteride before prescribing it."
Androgen sensitivity is calculated from an epigenetic weighted
evaluation of the CAG alleles on the Androgen Receptor (AR-CAG) gene
obtained from a simple cheek swab. Implicated in a number of medical
conditions like acne, hirsutism and polycystic ovary syndrome,
androgens can also interfere with hair growth in many who are
genetically susceptible to hereditary hair loss.
New studies suggest that female patients with a high
degree of sensitivity to androgens are much more likely to benefit
from finasteride as it decreases the production of the androgen
hormone DHT (dihydrotestosterone), a known trigger for hair loss in
men.
"If a woman's score on this test shows a strong androgen sensitivity
(bi-allelic CAG repeat score <24), she's likely to benefit from
treatment with finasteride," Dr. Bauman said. "In fact, early
studies suggest that she could see a 25-percent improvement in her
hair count within the first six months."
Dr. Bauman is one of the first U.S. physicians to provide this test
for women with hair loss. Dr. Bauman recommends that those concerned
about hair loss seek advice from medical professionals who have
experience and expertise in diagnosis and who have access to
results-tracking technology--like microscopic hair density
measurements and the HairCheck Trichometer--before starting any
therapy. For more information, visit his website at
www.baumanmedical.com.
ABOUT DR. BAUMAN:
Alan J. Bauman, M.D., founder of Bauman Medical Group in Boca Raton,
Florida, is an internationally renowned and board-certified hair
transplant surgeon. Dr. Bauman is certified by the American and
International Board of Hair Restoration Surgery and recommended by
the American Hair Loss Association. He is a featured lecturer at
national and international medical conferences and Live Surgery
Workshops.
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