555 | id == 555
555 | category_id == 30
555 | category_order == 27
555 | category_name == Hair Loss
555 | category_color == #C47AC0
555 | slug == KLF15-baldness
555 | title == A Link Between Glucocorticoids, Insulin, and Hair Loss (KLF15)
555 | meta_description == KLF15 is part of a regulatory pathway that includes glucocorticoids & insulin. What is its connection to male-pattern baldness?
555 | summary == <p><strong><em>KLF15 </em>is part of a regulatory pathway that includes glucocorticoids and insulin. What is its connection to male-pattern baldness? Find out here.</strong></p>
555 | overall_score_text == Your Hair Loss Score (based on KLF15)
555 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/KLF15-Male-pattern-baldness.jpg
555 | author_id == 1
555 | author_name == Jasmine Foster
555 | author_title == BSc, BEd
555 | author_order == 36
555 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Jasmine.jpg
555 | author_intro == <p><strong>Jasmine received her BS from McGill University and her BEd from Vancouver Island University.</strong></p>    <p>Jasmine loves helping people understand their brains and bodies, a passion that grew out of her dual background in biology and education. From the chem lab to the classroom, everyone has the right to learn and make informed decisions about their health.</p>
555 | reviewer == None
555 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
555 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
555 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
555 | publish_date == 2020
555 | publish_date == 12
555 | publish_date == 16
555 | avg_rating == 5.0
555 | tags_id == 913
555 | tags_name == Glucocorticoid Receptor
555 | tags_id == 1032
555 | tags_name == Hair Follicle
555 | tags_id == 1033
555 | tags_name == Hair Growth Cycle
555 | tags_id == 1029
555 | tags_name == Hair Loss
555 | tags_id == 139
555 | tags_name == Insulin
555 | tags_id == 116
555 | tags_name == Insulin Resistance
555 | tags_id == 1047
555 | tags_name == KLF15 Gene
555 | tags_id == 1028
555 | tags_name == Male-Pattern Baldness
555 | tags_id == 776
555 | tags_name == Skin health
555 | tags_id == 1048
555 | tags_name == Stem Cells
555 | permissions_favorite == False
555 | permissions_rate == False
555 | content_article == <h2><strong>Summary</strong></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">KLF15</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> encodes Kruppel like factor 15. Variants of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">KLF15</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may play a role in male-pattern baldness by altering the structure and function of hair follicles. Lifestyle, diet, and supplement modifications may counteract the effects of these variants by activating the glucocorticoid receptor NR3C1 or by reducing circulating insulin.</span></p> <h2><strong><em>KLF15</em></strong><strong> and Male-Pattern Baldness</strong></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/KLF15/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">KLF15</span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene encodes a protein called Kruppel like factor 15. This protein is part of the system of energy balance in the liver; it is activated by glucocorticoid signalling (through </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NR3C1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">) and suppressed by insulin [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/28999"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15649433/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">KLF proteins have been implicated in a wide variety of cell functions. The primary function of KLFs is to maintain the ability of stem cells to become many different types of cells; researchers are therefore very interested in these proteins as targets of regenerative medicine [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5374354/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">KLF15 is activated by glucocorticoid signalling through the glucocorticoid receptor (</span><a href="https://selfdecode.com/blog/article/nr3c1-fatigue-465/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NR3C1</span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">). Upon activation by the primary stress hormone </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/need-know-cortisol-health-effects/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">cortisol</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the glucocorticoid receptor inhibits </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/reasons-cortisol-low-high/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">HPA axis</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> activity and suppresses the release of cortisol [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/2908"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Underexpression of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">KLF15</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> has potentially serious health effects. A loss of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">KLF15</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in mice can lead to heart disease and even heart failure as fat metabolism and blood vessel function fall out of balance [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3199492/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Multiple KLF proteins have been implicated in the health of hair follicles. In mice, abnormal expression of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">KLF5 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">in the skin tissue reduced the numbers and function of hair follicles, leading to reduced hair growth. </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">KLF4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> expressed in the hair follicles helps the skin heal wounds more effectively [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5374354/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3379995/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The effect of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">KLF15</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on hair is not well studied. However, multiple variants in this gene have been associated with male-pattern baldness [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25826379/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5691155/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1006594"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">KLF15</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may alter the structure and function of hair follicles. It is regulated by the glucocorticoid receptor and circulating insulin.</span></span></p> <h2><strong>Your </strong><strong><em>KLF15</em></strong><strong> Results for Male-Pattern Baldness</strong></h2> <p>*9132383198617056*</p> <p><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/KLF15/"><strong>KLF15</strong></a> <a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs9850626/"><strong>rs9850626</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25826379/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms14694"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Associated with relatively lower rates of male-pattern baldness</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Associated with relatively higher rates of male-pattern baldness</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele may disrupt stem cells in the skin, possibly reducing the numbers and function of hair follicles [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5374354/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3379995/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/KLF15/"><strong>KLF15</strong></a> <a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs35892873/"><strong>rs35892873</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25826379/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5691155/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1006594"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Associated with relatively lower rates of male-pattern baldness</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Associated with relatively higher rate of male-pattern baldness</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele may disrupt stem cells in the skin, possibly reducing the numbers and function of hair follicles [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5374354/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3379995/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p>*8481075691695772*</p> <h2><strong>Recommendations for Improving Hair Growth</strong></h2> <p>*8459132219376413*</p> <h3><strong>Zinc</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The KLF15 protein has multiple structures called zinc fingers which require adequate zinc to function [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5374354/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A study of 120 men found that those with male-pattern baldness had lower blood levels of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/literally-everything-wanted-know-zinc-backed-science/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">zinc</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/biotin/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">vitamin B7</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30714301/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In another study of 48 men with this condition, normal blood zinc levels were associated with better success of conservative therapies and increased hair density [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7277952/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Good dietary sources of zinc include red meat, seafood, dairy products, nuts, legumes, and whole grains [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11053529/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">KLF15 requires zinc to function, and people with male-pattern baldness tend to have lower levels of zinc.</span></p> <h3><strong>Mediterranean Diet</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">KLF15 is suppressed by insulin, so it&rsquo;s important to keep circulating insulin low if you have low-expression </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">KLF15 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">variants. The nutrient-rich Mediterranean diet may decrease insulin and increase insulin sensitivity, making it a good choice to prevent reducing KLF15 [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7230471/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a study on over 200 men, the incidence of male-pattern baldness was reduced by over 50% in those eating a Mediterranean diet rich in fresh vegetables and herbs [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29181579/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">The Mediterranean diet may help increase KLF15 and prevent hair loss by reducing circulating insulin.</span></p> <h3><strong>L-Carnitine</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Multiple studies have reported that the nutrient </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/carnitine-top-18-science-based-health-effects-carnitine/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">L-carnitine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> has the ability to mimic glucocorticoids and activate the glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1), thus resulting in decreased production of inflammatory proteins. Glucocorticoid receptor activation in turn activates KLF15 [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12824292/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15591012/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15265779/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15649433/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a placebo-controlled trial of 60 men and women with baldness caused by male sex hormones, topical application of a solution with 2% L-</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/carnitine-top-18-science-based-health-effects-carnitine/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">carnitine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for 6 months increased hair density and the proportion of hairs in the active growth phase. L-carnitine promoted hair follicle cell growth while preventing their death [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17804203/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17927577/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In an uncontrolled trial of 60 men and women, two similar commercial solutions with L-carnitine, </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/gamma-linolenic-acid/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">gamma-linolenic acid</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and a compound from soybean (equol) increased both hair count and the proportion of hairs in the active growth phase after 1-6 months of application [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30371981/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">L-carnitine can activate the glucocorticoid receptor, which in turn activates KLF15. This may help explain how L-carnitine increased hair density in some studies.</span></p>
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555 | content_learn_more_8481075691695772_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your KLF15 gene is somewhat associated with abnormal hair loss. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of male-pattern baldness; it’s just one gene related to it. Zinc, a Mediterranean diet, and L-carnitine may help. Keep scrolling to find out more.
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rsIDs = rs35892873,rs9850626
rsStatus = rs35892873,KLF15,chr3,126350105,C,A,G,T,35,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs9850626,KLF15,chr3,126349936,G,A,T,,36,1,HET
