Is Premature Hair Whitening a Predictor of Hypertension for Healthy Young and Middle-Aged Men?

Objective: Oxidative stress is one of the essential factors in the development of Hypertension (HT). Hair whitening is a visual sign of oxidative stress. We hypothesized that the intensity of premature hair whitening might predict HT development, and we aimed to test it. Materials and Methods: A total of 172 healthy males with different stages of hair whitening were included in the study and evaluated after an average of 86 months. During the follow-up, we compared the data of patients diagnosed with HT to those who remained healthy. Results: Fifty-five (32%) of 172 patients were diagnosed with HT during follow-up period. In terms of demographic characteristics, age (41.48 ± 6.39 vs 44.36 ± 5.25 years; p=0.013), waist circumference (97.52 ± 10.87 vs 104.80 ± 11.94 cm; p=0.004), and body-mass index (27.61 ± 3.56 vs 30.20 ± 3.55 kg/m2; p lt;0,001) were higher in the HT group, whereas smoking history (p=0.211) was similar between the groups. In univariate analysis carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT)(p=0.013), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)(p=0.021), and uric acid (p lt;0.001) levels were higher in the HT group; on the contrary, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)(p=0.039) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels (p=0.026) were lower in this group. There was no difference between groups in terms of hair whitening stage and intensity. In multivariate analysis age (OR=0.143, 95%CI (1.002-1.328), p=0.046), eGFR (OR= -0.058, 95%CI (0.895-0.995), p=0.032), uric acid (OR=0.567, 95%CI (1.032-3.015), p=0.038), GGT (OR=0.030, 95%CI (1.001-1.060), p=0.041), and HDL (OR=-0.129, 95%CI (0.783- 0.986), p=0.028) were independently associated with de nova HT. Body-mass index, CIMT, and the leukocyte count were similar between the groups. Conclusion: Premature hair whitening is not predictive in determining the development of HT in young and middle-aged healthy men.