Your genes and various medical conditions can cause you to lose hair as you age. Many people see hair thinning, bald spots, or total baldness as purely a concern about looks. But sometimes, hair loss could be telling you something about your cardiovascular health. Hair loss can also be a side effect of medications or treatments for heart disease.

MyHeartDiseaseTeam members have brought up their hair loss experiences from heart disease and heart disease medications. One member said, “I lost all my hair from heart problems and statins, I believe.” Another said, “Let’s talk about hair loss. My hair has gotten so thin. What can I do?”

Some people may want to take steps to hide or reverse their hair loss. Whether your hair loss is related to heart disease or not, understanding the cause can help you find a solution and regain your confidence.

What’s the Connection Between Hair Loss and Heart Disease?

Hair loss isn’t a recognized heart disease symptom, but hair loss and heart disease share some significant connections. Here are some reasons why you might experience hair loss with heart disease.

Baldness as a Heart Disease Risk Factor

Androgenetic alopecia, or male- and female-pattern baldness, is a type of baldness that runs in families. It’s the most common type of hair loss and happens with age. You can recognize this type of hair loss by the way it starts with a receding hairline or a bald spot at the crown of the head.

Research suggests that androgenetic alopecia is a risk factor for coronary artery disease. A study in the Indian Dermatology Online Journal compared 100 males between the ages of 25 and 40 who were experiencing male-pattern baldness with a control group. The results showed that those who experienced androgenetic alopecia had higher blood pressure and higher cholesterol. Both high blood pressure and high cholesterol are major heart disease risk factors.

Hair Loss as a Medication Side Effect

Several medications commonly prescribed for heart disease can cause temporary or permanent hair loss as a side effect, although this is very rare.

A member of MyHeartDiseaseTeam mentioned their experience with hair loss as a side effect of beta-blockers. “I found I lost hair and was often fatigued on beta-blockers. How common is this experience?”

Beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors, which treat high blood pressure, and other medications commonly prescribed for heart disease, may cause hair loss as a side effect in some rare instances. These include:

• Atenolol (Tenormin)
• Enalapril (Vasotec)
• Lisinopril (Zestril)
• Metoprolol (Lopressor)
• Nadolol (Corgard)
• Propranolol

Hair loss is also a possible side effect of the cholesterol-lowering medications like gemfibrozil (Lopid) and some anticoagulants (blood-thinners), which may be prescribed as part of your heart disease treatment. Statins (cholesterol medications) might also cause hair loss in rare cases.

Hair Loss From Major Stress

Some people experience temporary hair loss during periods of major physical or emotional stress. This type of hair loss is called telogen effluvium. Being diagnosed with heart disease can be a major source of stress in your life, and that stress could cause hair loss. Telogen effluvium can also happen two to three months after a major surgery, like heart surgery. It’s also possible you might experience stress-related hair loss unrelated to your heart disease.

Other Common Causes of Hair Loss

Your heart disease, heart disease medications, and hair loss may be unrelated. It’s important to share your concerns with your doctor to find out what’s causing you to lose your hair. Addressing the issue early might help you slow your hair loss or find treatments to reverse it.

Genetics

Androgenetic alopecia, or hereditary baldness, can affect people of any gender. Hereditary conditions run in families. It’s also called male-pattern baldness, which appears as a receding hairline or growing bald spot. Female-pattern baldness is another type that appears as thinning hair at the crown of the head.

Hormone Imbalances

Hormone imbalances related to pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, or thyroid problems can cause you to lose hair.

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease, which means it stems from an overactive immune system. It can appear alongside other autoimmune diseases and typically causes patchy hair loss.

Cancer Treatments

Treatments for cancer, like radiation therapy to the head or chemotherapy, can cause hair loss. This often leads to total hair loss all over the scalp.

Scalp Infections

Scalp infections like ringworm or tinea capitis (fungal infections) can cause temporary hair loss while the infection is active. This hair loss might become permanent because of scarring on the scalp.

Nutrient Deficiencies

You might lose hair if you don’t get enough protein, iron, zinc, or biotin in your diet. These nutrient deficiencies often happen because of major dietary restrictions or heavy menstrual bleeding.

Traction, Damage, or Pulling

It’s possible to lose hair because of your styling habits, especially if you tend to wear your hair tight or undergo intensive hair treatments. Hair loss from traction alopecia can become permanent because of scarring on the scalp.

You may also experience hair loss due to traction or pulling because of trichotillomania, a hair-pulling disorder.

Managing Hair Loss From Heart Disease

Some people don’t mind losing their hair. “I love being bald,” shared one member of MyHeartDiseaseTeam in a discussion about baldness as a heart disease risk factor.

If you don’t like how a bald spot looks, styling hacks and hair loss treatments can hide, reduce, or even reverse hair loss related to heart disease or heart disease medications.

Wigs, Toupees, and More

Wearing a wig, head scarf, or toupee is an easy way to cover hair loss. These options won’t help your hair regrow, but they immediately and effectively cover bald spots. Sprays or powders matched to the color of your hair can also provide a quick and easy way to hide hair loss. You might also try out different hairstyles that can cover up the bald spots.

One MyHeartDiseaseTeam member offered tips for covering bald spots based on their experience: “My hair has been thinning for a long time — stress, kidneys, and heart disease. I bought a wig, although I have since found a lady who is very good at cutting my hair to hide the bald spots,” they said. “I wear hats in the cool weather.”

Supplements for Nutrient Deficiencies

Your doctor may recommend taking supplements or adjusting your diet if nutrient deficiencies contribute to your hair loss.

Hair Loss Medications

Some prescription medications are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat some types of hair loss by boosting hair growth or slowing hair loss. Spironolactone (sold as CaroSpir and Aldactone) can thicken hair and stop further hair loss in about 40 percent of women with female-pattern baldness, while finasteride (Propecia) treats male-pattern baldness.

Interestingly, a 2024 study found that finasteride may offer some heart-healthy benefits, including lowering cholesterol. Finasteride blocks a specific protein in hair follicles that activates testosterone, which contributes to atherosclerosis (narrowing of arteries). Men taking finasteride may have lower cholesterol, delayed atherosclerosis, and less inflammation in the liver.

Nonprescription topical products like minoxidil (Rogaine) may also help treat and prevent hair loss, especially when you start using them early.

Hair Loss Procedures

Dermatologists can perform procedures to treat hair loss, which may be more effective than home treatments like minoxidil. After evaluating your hair loss, your doctor might recommend:

• Hair transplant — A procedure that moves healthy follicles to balding areas
• Corticosteroid injections — Injections that may slow hair loss or improve hair growth
• Low-level laser therapy — A painless procedure that uses medical-grade lasers to stimulate hair follicles
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) — Injections that use specific parts of your blood to encourage hair regrowth

Stress Management

Finding healthy ways to minimize stress can help encourage your hair to grow back, depending on the cause of your hair loss.

Managing stress by exercising, meditating, spending time with family, or enjoying relaxing hobbies can also help control your blood pressure and reduce other health risks related to heart disease.

Talk to Your Doctor

Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about hair loss related to heart disease or heart disease medications. Your doctor can pinpoint the cause of your hair loss and recommend effective treatment based on the cause. They can also discuss the side effects of hair loss medications with you.

If you experience hair loss as a heart disease medication side effect, your doctor may be able to switch you to a similar medication that won’t cause hair loss.

Your doctor might recommend cardiovascular screenings if you experience significant hair loss or a receding hairline, as these are risk factors for cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. Heart health screenings can tell you if you’re at risk of heart disease even if you don’t have it yet. The results might inspire you to make heart-healthy changes to your lifestyle, like exercising more often, changing your diet, or quitting smoking.

Find Your Team

MyHeartDiseaseTeam is the social network for people with heart disease and their loved ones. On MyHeartDiseaseTeam, more than 62,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with heart disease.

Have you experienced hair loss from heart disease? What strategies have you used to manage hair loss? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.