The Association between Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Male Pattern Hair Loss in Young Menby 1 , 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 and 1,*
1 Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China 2 Department of Dermatology, School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, Tsinghua University, Beijing 102218, China * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Received: 30 November 2022 / Revised: 17 December 2022 / Accepted: 29 December 2022 / Published: 1 January 2023 AbstractWe performed this study to investigate the association between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and male pattern hair loss (MPHL) in young men. We conducted this cross-sectional study from January to April 2022 in mainland China. Young people aged 18–45 years (n = 1951) were recruited from 31 provinces in China. We used a self-reported online survey for data collection. We explored the associations between the amount/frequency of SSB consumption and MPHL by using a binary logistic regression model, with adjustments for sociodemographic, hair status, dietary intake, lifestyle, and psychological factors. Among the 1028 participants (27.8 ± 7.2 years) in the final analysis, we found that high SSB consumption is associated with a higher risk of MPHL. We recommend more support to decrease SSB consumption among young people to minimize negative health outcomes.
1. IntroductionMale pattern hair loss (MPHL), a progressive and non-scarring form of hair loss, has become a global public health problem. The incidence of MPHL continues to increase while the age of onset for MPHL continues to decrease. Based on previous surveys of the Chinese population, the MPHL prevalence has increased from 21.3% in 2010 to 27.5% in 2021 [ 1, 2]. MPHL distresses young people by affecting an individual’s sense of self, causing psychological distress and adversely affecting quality of life [ 3, 4, 5, 6]. MPHL is related to numerous factors, including genetics, anxiety, sleep time, age, body mass index (BMI), disease history, physical activities, nutrition, and smoking [ 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14]. Dietary intake is considered to play an important role, and numerous studies have indicated the negative effect of the Western diet on MPHL [ 15, 16]. As a major feature of the Western diet, the high consumption of added sugars might influence hair loss by triggering polyol pathways [ 17, 18, 19, 20]. Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), the consumption of which is prevalent in young populations [ 21, 22, 23, 24], are any liquids that are sweetened with various forms of added sugars. SSBs include sodas/soft drinks, juice with added sugar, sport drinks, energy drinks, sweet milk, and sweet tea/coffee [ 25]. In the USA, 63% of youths and 49% of adults drink an SSB on a given day [ 24]. Research in China has also reported that SSB consumption is highest in the 13–29-year-old age group (22.38%) [ 23]. Current studies indicate that excessive SSB consumption is associated with chronic diseases, obesity, tooth decay, and emotional problems [ 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33]. As a major dietary source of added sugars [ 34], SSBs may be a potential risk factor for MPHL. However, epidemiological studies on the association between SSB intake and MPHL are still insufficient, especially among the young population. With limited data, a cross-sectional study indicated that sugary beverage intake is a protective factor for MPHL [ 9], which is inconsistent with the results of biological mechanism studies. Therefore, the association between SSB intake and MPHL needs to be confirmed by additional studies. We aimed to explore the association between the frequency and amount of SSB intake and the MPHL status through an epidemiological study, to provide scientific evidence to improve the dietary habits and promote the health of young people.
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