A Pilot Study on the Association Between Trunk Hair Density and Insulin Resistance in Nonobese Turkish Men

Aim: The association between insulin resistance and hirsutism in women is well studied. However there is no previous data about association between insulin resistance and male body hair density. Thus, the aim of the present study is to evaluate association between insulin resistance and trunk hair density in nonobese Turkish men.

Study Design: This is a a cross-sectional, observational, pilot clinical study conducted with the approval of ethical review board.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Afyonkarahisar State Hospital, between July 2014 and October 2014.

Methodology: The study included 58 nonobese Turkish men with same ethnicity, without a systemic disorder. The body mass index (BMI) was calculated, and total trunk hair density was evaluated with a scoring method for each participant. Laboratory investigations, including fasting blood glucose, insulin and serum lipid levels were performed. In each patient, insulin resistance was calculated as Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR).

Results: Mean age of the patients was 27.88±8.14 (range: 17-58). Total trunk hair score positively correlated with BMI (P = 0.001), fasting insulin levels (P = 0.021), HOMA-IR score (P = 0.019) and insulin resistance (P = 0.003). Especially, abdominal hair score correlated with insulin resistance (P = 0.003).

Conclusion: Total trunk hair score, especially abdominal hair score correlated positively with insulin resistance in nonobese Turkish men. Thus, evaluation of abdominal hair density may be a clinical method for risk assesment of insulin resistance in nonobese Turkish men.