Occult fungal infection is the underlying pathogenic cause of atherogenesis.

Atherosclerosis is the underlying cause of coronary heart disease (CHD). Atherogenesis is supposed to result from response to injury and is considered an inflammatory condition. A variety of infectious agents have been investigated as the underlying risk factor for atherogenesis, however, none have been proved to be causally linked. Also several interventions against these agents have not been proved to be of benefit in trials. The role of fungal infection, however, has not been explored in sufficient detail. Baldness particularly male pattern baldness and coronary artery disease have been linked in several epidemiological studies. There is some evidence that this type of baldness could be due to fungal infection and this link is being established even though traditionally male pattern baldness was associated with androgen effect. Seborrheic dermatitis and Pityrosporum infection have been causally linked and the benefit derived from antifungal shampoo in male pattern baldness, gives further credence to the link with fungal infection. Here it is being hypothesized that fungal infection is the underlying risk factor for both baldness and CHD. Several interventions, which have proved beneficial in CHD like statins and drug coated stents, also have anti-fungal effects, lending further credence to the present hypothesis. Copyright 2004 Elsevier Ltd.