Treatments for Alopecia Areata: A Network Meta-Analysis

    October 2023 in “ The Cochrane library
    Miriam Mateos-Haro, Monica Novoa-Candia, Guillermo Sánchez‐Vanegas, Andrea Correa-Pérez, Andrea Gaetano-Gil, Silvia Fernández-García, ­Daniel ­Ortega‐Quijano, Mayra Gizeth Urueña Rodriguez, David Saceda‐Corralo, Tayeb Bennouna-Dalero, Lucía Giraldo, Jaqueline Tomlinson, Sergio Vañó‐Galván, Javier Zamora
    From the encyclopedia
    Alopecia Areata →

    autoimmune disorder causing patchy hair loss

    Baricitinib →

    JAK inhibitor that reduces inflammation and immune attacks on hair follicles, leading to potential hair regrowth, especially in alopecia areata cases

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    Studysummary This review identified that baricitinib increases both short- and long-term hair regrowth in patients with alopecia areata compared to placebo, but found inconclusive results for serious adverse effects, while evidence for other treatments remains very uncertain.
    Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer
    This network meta-analysis reviewed 63 studies involving 4817 participants to evaluate various treatments for alopecia areata. The most significant finding was that the oral immunosuppressant baricitinib significantly increased short- and long-term hair regrowth compared to a placebo, backed by high-certainty evidence from two trials involving 1200 participants. However, the risk of serious side effects with baricitinib was inconclusive. The evidence for other treatments was generally of very low to low certainty, often due to a small number of studies with few participants. The review concluded that more high-quality studies are needed to evaluate the potentially useful therapies.
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