Title
Hair follicle characteristics as early marker of Type 2 Diabetes
Date Issued
01 October 2016
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Publisher(s)
Churchill Livingstone
Abstract
Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (DM2) includes a continuum of metabolic disorders characterized by hyperglycemia that causes several chronic long-term complications such as coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, nephropathy, and neuropathy. The hair follicle could reveal signs of early vascular impairment, yet its relationship to early metabolic injuries has been largely ignored. We propose that in earlier stages of the continuum of DM2-related metabolic disorders, a group of susceptible patients who do not yet meet the diagnostic criteria to be considered as persons with DM2 may present chronic vascular impairment and end organ damage, including hair follicle damage, which can be evaluated to identify an early risk marker. This hypothesis is based in the association found between insulin resistance and alopecia in non-diabetic persons, and the hair loss on the lower limbs as a manifestation of long-term peripheral arterial disease among subjects with DM2. In order to test this hypothesis, studies are required to evaluate if hair follicle characteristics are related to and can predict hyperglycemic complications, and if they do so, which feature of the hair follicle, such as hair growth, best characterizes such DM2-related conditions. If this hypothesis were proven to be true, significant advances towards a personalized approach for early prevention strategies and management of DM2 would be made. By focusing on the hair follicles, early stages of metabolic-related organ damage could be identified using non-invasive low-cost techniques. In so doing, this approach could provide early identification of DM2-susceptible individuals and lead to the early initiation of adequate primary prevention strategies to reduce or avoid the onset of large internal organ damage.
Start page
39
End page
44
Volume
95
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Endocrinología, Metabolismo (incluyendo diabetes, hormonas)
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84983540151
PubMed ID
Source
Medical Hypotheses
ISSN of the container
03069877
Sponsor(s)
Funding text
There was no specific funding for this study. JJM is supported by Fogarty International Centre ( R21TW009982 ), Grand Challenges Canada ( 0335-04 ), International Development Research Center Canada ( 106887-001 ), Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research ( IAI CRN3036 ), Medical Research Council UK ( M007405 ), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute ( U01HL114180 ), National Institutes of Mental Health ( U19MH098780 ). JJM, AT-R, JCT, MGG-G, and RR-C are with the CRONICAS Centre of Excellence in Chronic Diseases at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia which was supported by Federal funds from the United States National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under contract No. HHSN268200900033C. The funders had no role in decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Molecular Identification of Leishmania species in pediatric population attended at the National Institute of Health
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