Epidemiological and biochemical factors (serum ferritin and vitamin D) associated with premature hair graying in Egyptian population

Abstract

Background: The etiology of premature hair graying (PHG) remains incompletely understood with limited treatment options, although has profound impacts on patient's quality of life.

Aims: To assess demographic and clinical profiles of Egyptian PHG patients and explore association of various epidemiological risk factors and serum vitamin D and ferritin levels with PHG.

Patients and methods: Three hundred PHG patients and equal number of controls, aged <30 years, were included. Assessment of epidemiological and clinical characteristics, biometric data and stress perception using perceived stress scale (PSS-10) was done, with measurement of serum vitamin D and ferritin levels for all subjects. PHG was graded into mild, moderate, and severe if <10, 10-100, and >100 gray hairs, respectively. Statistical significance for various compared parameters was done employing suitable tests, with P-value ≤ .05 considered significant.

Results: Results reported significant positive relation of PHG with family history, sedentary life style, and stress (P = .001, .029, and .001, respectively), while no significant relation with smoking, body mass index, or frequent hair dyes use (>3 per year) (P = .425, .5, and .65, respectively). No significant difference was found in mean vitamin D between patients and controls (23.79 ± 13.01 ng/mL vs 24.85 ± 13.19 ng/mL, P = .701), while low serum ferritin (<20 ng/mL) was significantly associated with PHG (14.7 % patients vs 2.7% controls, P = .017).

Conclusion: PHG in Egyptian population is significantly associated with positive family history, stress, sedentary life style, and low serum ferritin level, while role of vitamin D deficiency should be further evaluated.

Keywords: ferritin; perceived stress scale; premature hair graying; vitamin D.