Comparison of Components of Metabolic Syndrome in Androgenic Alopecia versus Healthy Population

The study compared 100 patients with androgenic alopecia (AA) to 100 healthy controls, all aged 25-40 years and with a BMI under 30, to assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) components. It was found that the AA group had significantly higher waist circumference, BMI, blood pressure, insulin levels, HbA1c, insulin resistance (measured by HOMA-IR), and lipid profile abnormalities. Additionally, AA patients had higher testosterone levels, lower sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels, and a higher Free Androgen Index (FAI). MS was present in 39% of the AA group compared to 10% of the control group. The study concluded that metabolic syndrome is more common in individuals with AA, and that FAI is a useful marker for identifying MS in AA patients.