564 | id == 564
564 | category_id == 30
564 | category_order == 27
564 | category_name == Hair Loss
564 | category_color == #C47AC0
564 | slug == MEF2C-male-pattern-baldness
564 | title == Increased Androgen Sensitivity in Male-Pattern Baldness (MEF2C)
564 | meta_description == MEF2C may regulate androgen receptor sensitivity. A variant of MEF2C is linked to male-pattern baldness. Read more here.
564 | summary == <p style="text-align:justify"><strong><em>MEF2C</em> may help regulate androgen receptor sensitivity. How might a variant of <em>MEF2C</em> increase susceptibility to male-pattern baldness? Read more to find out.</strong><br />  &nbsp;</p>
564 | overall_score_text == Your Hair Loss Score (based on MEF2C gene)
564 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/MEF2C-Male-pattern-baldness.jpg
564 | author_id == 14
564 | author_name == Shany Lahan
564 | author_title == MS (Neuroscience)
564 | author_order == 5
564 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Shany.webp
564 | author_intro == <p>Shany received her MSc in Neuroscience from Western University.</p>    <p>Prior to joining SelfDecode, Shany conducted research related to Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease, and taught science to undergraduate students. She believes that research should be accessible to everyone, regardless of scientific background. Shany joined SelfDecode&nbsp;with a mission to help others optimize their health and wellbeing &ndash; as well as help them understand the science behind it all.</p>
564 | reviewer == None
564 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
564 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
564 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
564 | publish_date == 2020
564 | publish_date == 12
564 | publish_date == 22
564 | avg_rating == 5.0
564 | tags_id == 1068
564 | tags_name == Androgen Receptor
564 | tags_id == 807
564 | tags_name == Androgens
564 | tags_id == 1069
564 | tags_name == DHT
564 | tags_id == 1032
564 | tags_name == Hair Follicle
564 | tags_id == 1029
564 | tags_name == Hair Loss
564 | tags_id == 1028
564 | tags_name == Male-Pattern Baldness
564 | tags_id == 764
564 | tags_name == MEF2C gene
564 | permissions_favorite == False
564 | permissions_rate == False
564 | content_article == <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Summary</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MEF2C</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> codes for a protein that may alter sensitivity of the androgen receptor, a protein that regulates hair growth. A variant of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MEF2C </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">may play a role in male-pattern baldness by dysregulating MEF2C and increasing androgen receptor sensitivity. Lifestyle, diet, and supplement modifications may counteract the effects of this variant by decreasing activity of the androgen receptor.</span></span></p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>MEF2C</em></strong><strong> and Male-Pattern Baldness</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/mef2c/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MEF2C</span></em></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">gene codes for myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C), a protein that regulates the activity of genes [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/4208"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the mechanism is unclear, MEF2C has been suggested to interact with proteins that may influence androgen receptor activity. The androgen receptor usually becomes active when bound by steroid hormones called </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">androgens </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">[</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22032556/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A number of studies have demonstrated that high levels of androgens (particularly </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/hidden-benefits-dht-increase-reduce/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">DHT</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) and elevated androgen receptor sensitivity may increase the risk of male-pattern baldness by miniaturizing hair follicles [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4430701/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9496234/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1517703/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11231320/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12573818/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unsurprisingly, a variant of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MEF2C </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">has been associated with male-pattern baldness. This variant may dysregulate the production of MEF2C, resulting in increased sensitivity of the androgen receptor [</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/s41467-018-07862-y"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong>Your </strong><strong><em>MEF2C</em></strong><strong> Results for Male-Pattern Baldness</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">*9503538976036021*</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Primary SNP:</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>MEF2C </em></strong><a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs1366594/"><strong>rs1366594</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/s41467-018-07862-y"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Higher odds of male-pattern baldness, relative to &lsquo;C&rsquo;&nbsp;</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Lower odds of male-pattern baldness, relative to &lsquo;A&rsquo;&nbsp;</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;">*2362096245611327*</p> <h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong>Recommendations for Managing Male-Pattern Baldness</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">*2384786917371588*</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Lifestyle</strong></h3> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Avoid Cigarettes</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cigarette smoke has been shown to increase androgen receptor activity, suggesting that it may worsen the effects of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MEF2C </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">risk variants [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31077419/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several studies have associated smoking with an approximately 2-fold increased risk of male-pattern baldness. Cigarette smoke may cause oxidative and inflammatory damage in the hair follicles and impair hair growth, and reduce female sex hormone levels. A study found that the combination of smoking with being overweight increased male-pattern baldness severity [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12673073/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28555720/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18025364/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32946667/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23629119/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Avoiding cigarette smoke may help manage male-pattern baldness by preventing an increase in androgen receptor activity.</span></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Diet</strong></h3> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Soy</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Soy contains isoflavones (dietary estrogens) such as genistein. Soy isoflavones have been reported to lower the production and activity of the androgen receptor in multiple studies [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12112315/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3962012/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18852123/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3805529/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5067195/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Taiwanese study associated the regular consumption of soy drinks (at least 1-3 days/week) with a reduced incidence of male-pattern baldness [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3875420/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Soy may help manage male-pattern baldness by decreasing production and activity of the androgen receptor.</span></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Supplements</strong></h3> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Saw Palmetto</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/benefits-saw-palmetto/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Saw palmetto</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may block the production of DHT and decrease the binding ability of the androgen receptor, thus reducing androgen receptor activity [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4002402/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 3 studies of men with male-pattern baldness, topical saw palmetto products applied for up to 2 years increased hair growth without major adverse effects [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23298508/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26010505/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/5281/3fbf018bd6a9570728ddd91fb333bf48062a.pdf?_ga=2.93495770.614503501.1605526785-1500133526.1595847459"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Saw palmetto extract also increased hair density, weight, and thickness in mice [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29949176/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a small clinical trial of men with male-pattern baldness, oral capsules with saw palmetto extract and beta-sitosterol improved hair density in the 60% of men who took them [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12006122/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Soy may help manage male-pattern baldness by decreasing activity of the androgen receptor.</span></p>
564 | content_snp_table_9503538976036021_key == 9503538976036021
564 | content_snp_table_9503538976036021_blur == True
564 | content_snp_table_9503538976036021_hidden == False
564 | content_learn_more_2362096245611327_key == 2362096245611327
564 | content_learn_more_2362096245611327_blur == True
564 | content_learn_more_2362096245611327_hidden == False
564 | content_learn_more_2362096245611327_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your MEF2C gene is associated with somewhat lower odds of male-pattern baldness, relative to other variants. However, other genes and health factors may still contribute to your risk.
564 | content_recommendation_2384786917371588_key == 2384786917371588
564 | content_recommendation_2384786917371588_blur == True
564 | content_recommendation_2384786917371588_hidden == False
rsIDs = rs1366594
rsStatus = rs1366594,MEF2C-AS1,chr5,89080244,A,C,G,T,21,9,HET
