It’s well known that obesity is linked to the development of numerous diseases in humans. Heart disease, diabetes, and other ailments are extremely common in obese individuals.
Now, Researchers at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University have uncovered a molecular mechanism behind why obesity can lead to hair thinning.
They found that stem cells within hair follicles in mice given a high-fat diet behaved differently from those in mice with a standard diet. Inflammatory signals in the stem cells led to these differences, ultimately resulting in hair thinning and loss.
They found that obesity can lead to depletion of hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) through the induction of certain inflammatory signals, blocking hair follicle regeneration and resulting in loss of hair follicles.
These fascinating data shed light on the complicated link between obesity and organ dysfunction.