Men who go bald at an early age may be less likely to develop prostate cancer, new research suggests
Scientists at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre set out to explore the relationship between early-onset male pattern baldness and prostate cancer risk
They analysed 999 cases of prostate cancer - all of whom were diagnosed between 2002 and 2005, aged 35 to 74 - and a further 942 healthy volunteers
Publishing their findings in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, the researchers revealed that men with prostate cancer were less likely to have experienced hair loss at 30 years of age (19.8 per cent) than those without the disease (25.2 per cent)
Meanwhile, men who had started going bald at age 30 were 29 per cent less likely to develop prostate cancer in the future than those with a full head of hair at that age
The study authors concluded that early-onset male pattern baldness 'was associated with a reduced relative risk of prostate cancer'
They called for further research to shed light on the reasons for the link
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in British men and tends to affect those over the age of 70
A new pilot project should help people who need wheelchairs, many of whom currently face long waits before receiving the equipment they need
The Department of Health has announced pilots in the east and south-west of England, which will help to develop a more consistent approach to the provision of wheelchairs
Standards will be set for delivering timely services and local health trusts will be encouraged to work together, possibly combining spending power to get better value for money
Care services minister Phil Hope said that not having the right equipment 'can restrict freedom, isolate and prevent an individual from fully contributing to society'
'We are developing a national entitlement standard for wheelchairs services,' he confirmed
'By combining local NHS spending power and assessing people's needs in the same way, wherever they live, we can provide better quality services and help people get on with their lives
At present, people who need a wheelchair are referred to their local NHS Wheelchair Service for an assessment of their needs
Timescales and funding options are then discussed before the wheelchair is provided, along with training on how to use it