Rosen C J, Holick M F, Millard P S
Maine Center for Osteoporosis Research and Education, St. Joseph Hospital, Bangor 04402-0403.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1994 Sep;79(3):854-7. doi: 10.1210/jcem.79.3.8077373.
Premature graying of hair is associated with several endocrine disorders, vitiligo, and the aging process. Although the pathophysiology of melanin depletion in hair follicles is unknown, genetic factors regulate the expression of this trait. As acquisition of bone mass is also genetically determined, we performed an exploratory case control study of the association between premature graying of hair and osteopenia (lumbar bone density t score, below -1.0). Subjects were recruited from a single metabolic bone clinic. Premature graying of hair in 36 men and women with osteopenia (cases) was compared to that in 27 men and women without osteopenia (controls). Subjects with premature graying but no other identifiable risk factor were 4.4 times as likely to have osteopenia as subjects without premature graying (P = 0.02). Subjects with osteopenia and premature graying in their teens and twenties had a stronger family history of osteoporosis than those who had osteopenia and graying later in their thirties (P = 0.06), but bone density and other characteristics were not different. The association between premature graying and low bone mass could be related to genes that control peak bone mass or factors that regulate bone turnover. Premature graying of hair may be an important risk marker for osteopenia.
头发过早变白与多种内分泌疾病、白癜风及衰老过程相关。尽管毛囊中黑色素耗竭的病理生理学尚不清楚，但遗传因素调控着这一特征的表达。由于骨量的获取也是由基因决定的，我们开展了一项探索性病例对照研究，以探究头发过早变白与骨质减少（腰椎骨密度t值低于 -1.0）之间的关联。研究对象来自一家单一的代谢性骨病诊所。将36名患有骨质减少的男性和女性（病例组）的头发过早变白情况与27名未患骨质减少的男性和女性（对照组）进行比较。没有其他可识别风险因素的头发过早变白的受试者患骨质减少的可能性是没有过早变白的受试者的4.4倍（P = 0.02）。在十几岁和二十几岁时就出现骨质减少和头发过早变白的受试者比那些在三十多岁后期才出现骨质减少和头发变白的受试者有更强的骨质疏松家族史（P = 0.06），但骨密度及其他特征并无差异。头发过早变白与低骨量之间的关联可能与控制峰值骨量的基因或调节骨转换的因素有关。头发过早变白可能是骨质减少的一个重要风险标志物。
