A Japanese study of nearly 37,000 people, published in the online journal BMJ Open, said balding men were 32% more likely to have coronary heart disease.
However, the Japanese researchers said the risks were less than for smoking or obesity.
A shifting hairline is a fact of life for many men. Half have thinning hair by their 50s and 80% have some hair loss by the age of 70.
A Japanese study of nearly 37,000 people said balding men were 32 percent more likely to have coronary heart disease
Researchers at the University of Tokyo sifted through years of previous research into links between hair loss and heart problems.
They showed that hair that went thin on the crown was associated with coronary heart disease. This was after adjusting for other risk factors such as age and family history.
However, a receding hairline did not seem to affect the risk.
Dr. Tomohide Yamada, of the University of Tokyo, said: “We found a significant, though modest, link between baldness, at least on the top of the head, and risk for coronary heart disease.
“We thought this is a link, but not as strong as many other known links such as smoking, obesity, cholesterol levels and blood pressure.”
He said younger men losing hair on the top of their head should focus on improving their lifestyle to ensure they keep their heart healthy.
However, Dr. Tomohide Yamada said there was not enough evidence to suggest screening bald men for heart problems.
Any explanation for the link is uncertain.
There are ideas about increased sensitivity to male hormones, insulin resistance and inflammation in blood vessels affecting both the heart and the hair.
One in five men and one in eight women dies of coronary heart disease which is caused by blood vessels that nourish the heart becoming blocked.
Japanese Emperor Akihito has undergone a successful heart bypass operation at a hospital in Tokyo, the palace says.
Emperor Akihito’s surgery lasted just over five hours at the University of Tokyo Hospital.
The emperor, 78, who has suffered from poor health in recent months, plays a largely ceremonial role but is respected deeply by many Japanese.
Akihito ascended the throne in 1989 following the death of his father, Emperor Hirohito.
Emperor Akihito was accompanied by his wife Empress Michiko when he checked into the hospital on Friday morning.
Japanese Emperor Akihito has undergone a successful heart bypass operation at the University of Tokyo Hospital
The operation began at around 09:30 a.m. on Saturday and ended at around 15:30.
“The operation went smoothly as planned,” one of the three surgeons, Minoru Ono, told a news conference.
“We confirmed a sufficient blood flow back in the arteries.”
Emperor Akihito had reportedly nodded and he told his wife and daughter “it feels good” as he emerged from the effects of the anaesthetics.
But another surgeon, Atsushi Amano, said it was too early to talk confidently of the operation’s success, saying it would be “measured by whether the emperor can regain the normal lifestyle he had wished for”.
“We are looking forward to that day, but until then, we’ll use the word success sparingly,” Dr. Atsushi Amano said.
Emperor Akihito is expected to remain in hospital for about two weeks, during which time his first son Crown Prince Naruhito will handle official duties.
Doctors decided to carry out the operation after tests earlier this month showed emperor’s heart condition had worsened since a year ago.
Dr. Minoru Ono said two of the three coronary arteries were repaired using a blood vessel from another part of his body.
Last year, Prince Akishino, who is second in line to the throne, called for debate on a retirement age for the head of state, who spent almost three weeks in hospital in November 2011.
Emperor Akihito also had surgery for prostate cancer in 2003 and suffered stress-related health issues in late 2008.
In 2009, the Imperial Household Agency said Emperor Akihito would cut back on official duties such as speeches and meeting foreign dignitaries.
Under Japan’s 1947 Imperial House Law, the emperor is succeeded on his death by a male relative. Crown Prince Naruhito is first in line to the throne, followed by his younger brother Prince Akishino.
Women cannot inherit the Japanese throne and so Princess Aiko, the daughter of Crown Prince Naruhito, cannot succeed her father.
Third in line to the throne is Prince Hisahito, Prince Akishino’s son.
