Ah, the heartbreak of baldness. It’s more, to paraphrase Rudy Giuliani, than many of us can bear. And yet, paradoxically, baldness is something that some men simulate with a razor. So how bad can it be?

This just in: Male pattern baldness, long known to be genetic and well linked to a gene discovered just a few years ago, has now been tied to a second gene. Even though its discoverers allow that their new gene is only of secondary importance in causing baldness, the story is getting a good ride. The new report–actually three reports–is in Nature Genetics.

A sampling:

Ed Edelson, writing for Health Day News (carried by the Web sites of several newspapers, including the Washington Post, that no longer field a full staff of science or medical writers), extends the discussion to alopecia, a form of patchy baldness that is disfiguring. Anna Davison of Technology Review magazine, cites an author who says there is probably a genetic link between male pattern baldness and several conditions such as heart disease and insuling resistance. Lyndsay Moss, health correspondent for The Scotsman, reveals why the story is making news. His lede: “It is one of men’s biggest fears as they age–but a genetic discovery means baldness could be prevented in years to come.” Well, no, it doesn’t mean that. But, hey, we’re trying to pull in readers.

-BR

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