Glycosylated hemoglobin and lipoproteins in patients with premature hair grayness

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to estimate glycosylated hemoglobin, fasting blood sugar and lipid profile in patients with premature grayness of hair.

METHODS: This study was carried out from October 1999 and May 2000, at the Dermatology and Venereology Outpatient Clinic of Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Iraq. Sixty patients with premature grayness of hair and 20 healthy individuals were included in this study. The levels of glycosylated hemoglobin, fasting blood sugar, serum triglyceride, total serum cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and atherogenic index were assessed for both patients and control.

RESULTS: The mean level of glycosylated hemoglobin in patients with premature grayness of hair was 4.84 ± 0.46, and the mean level of fasting blood sugar in patients with premature grayness of hair was 83.25 ± 8.67. Both these parameters were significantly higher in patients with premature grayness of hair than that of the control. Also, it was found that these parameters were positively correlated to the severity of the disease. The level of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol was significantly lower in patients with premature grayness of hair compared to control.

CONCLUSION: The discovery of elevated glycosylated hemoglobin in patients with premature grayness of hair was similar to what has been reported in diseases with possible auto-immune etiology such as vitiligo. These changes together with the well-documented association between premature grayness of hair and autoimmune diseases can support the autoimmune etiology of premature grayness of hair.