The shorter, the balder - That`s what scientists say!

New Delhi: In a first of it's kind revelation, scientists claim the men with short height and light skin colour face increased risk of becoming bald prematurely.

During a study, the University of Bonn researchers investigated the genetic material of more than 20,000 men and the data revealed that premature hair loss is linked to a range of various physical characteristics and illnesses.

The study, appeared in journal Nature Communications, stated that immune and fat cells in the scalp are obviously also involved in hair loss along with the cells of the hair follicle.

"We were thus able to identify 63 alterations in the human genome that increase the risk of premature hair loss," said lead study author Dr. Stefanie Heilmann-Heimbach.

"Some of these alterations were also found in connection with other characteristics and illnesses, such as reduced body size, earlier occurrence of puberty and various cancers," Heimbach added.

It has already long been known that men with premature hair loss suffer from heart diseases and prostate cancer somewhat more often.

The new genetic data now confirm suspicions that there are further connections to other characteristics and illnesses.

They analysed genetic data from around 11,000 men with premature baldness and around 12,000 men with no hair loss served as a control from seven different countries.

(With ANI inputs)