The study shows that bald men are at a higher risk of developing severe COVID

A new study finds that bald men are at a higher risk of developing severe COVID infections. So strong is the link between the two

The study shows that bald men are at a higher risk of developing severe COVID

A new study finds that bald men are at a higher risk of developing severe COVID infections. So strong is the link between the two conditions that the researchers suggest referring to the risk factor as "Gabrin Sign," which is named after Dr. Frank Gabrin, who became the first American doctor to die from the coronavirus and baldness.

The study's lead author, Professor Carlos Wambier of Brown University, told The Independent:

Bald men are more likely to die from coronavirus infection

Data released by Public Health England shows that working-class men are twice as likely to die from coronavirus infection as women.

Researchers wondered why men were more likely to die from COVID, which attributed the results to lifestyle, smoking and immune system differences. However, growing information suggests that male hormones known as androgens could be the cause.

Not only are androgens like testosterone linked to baldness, but research shows that androgens also increase the ability of the corona virus to attack cells in the body.

So far, two small studies in Spain have shown a link between androgens and severe COVID-19 infections. The first study involved 122 patients from three hospitals in Madrid and showed that 79% of men with COVID-19 also experienced baldness.

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Another previous study showed that of 49 COVID patients in Spanish hospitals, 71% were bald. A similar correlation was found in a small number of women who experienced hair loss due to androgens.

How do androgens affect COVID-19?

Researchers who specialize in prostate cancer are also aware of the risk of androgens, because they can also stimulate the TMPRSS2 enzyme, which boosts cancer cells. The Cell document published in April suggests that the same enzyme can influence COVID infection.

To infect cells, COVID-19 uses spike proteins that bind to cell membranes. This process is activated by an enzyme believed to be TMPRSS2. Scientists still don't know whether TMPRSS2 responds to androgens in the lungs in the same way as in the prostate. There is growing evidence to support this relationship.

Another study in Italy, consisting of 9,280 prostate cancer patients, found that men treated with androgen withdrawal were a quarter more likely to become infected with COVID than men treated with other drugs. Karen Stalbow, Director of Prostate Cancer Policy UK said: