Low dose oral minoxidil and the conundrum of cardiovascular complications

Abstract

In recent months, the general public has become more cognizant of the potential of oral minoxidil to promote hair growth; this was promulgated, in part, by an article published in the New York Times entitled, “An Old Medicine Grows New Hair for Pennies a Day, Doctors Say.” Minoxidil was added to the pharmacologic armamentarium as an antihypertensive nearly 60 years ago and was found to trigger hypertrichosis in many patients, but its use dropped sharply as cardiologists observed a number of adverse cardiovascular events including ischemic heart disease, left ventricular hypertrophy, pleural effusions, and pericardial effusions. Studies in the realm of dermatology have explored the utility and safety of low dose oral minoxidil (LDOM) for management of alopecia. This article highlights potential clinical conundrums posed by these rare but severe cardiovascular complications and the importance of collaboration between cardiologists and dermatologists when employing this agent in patients with cardiorenal or cardiovascular risk factors.