TLDR Anti-androgen therapy might help protect against COVID-19 infection and reduce death risk.
A meta-analysis of seven studies involving 53,378 samples found that anti-androgen therapy may offer protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection, with an overall odds ratio (OR) of 0.89, suggesting a protective trend. The study also found that this therapy could potentially reduce COVID-19-related mortality, based on 14 studies with 9,619 infected patients, showing an overall OR of 0.85. The androgen receptor (AR), which plays a key role in diseases like alopecia, is a target of anti-androgen therapy. Therefore, this therapy might help prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated mortality, but more research is needed to confirm these findings.
50 citations,
July 2021 in “Nature Communications” The drug enzalutamide may reduce the ability of the virus causing COVID-19 to enter lung cells.
7 citations,
December 2019 in “American Journal of Clinical Dermatology” Topical therapies show promise for hair loss and acne treatment with minimal side effects.
9 citations,
November 2020 in “Medical Hypotheses” Hair loss may link to weaker COVID-19 immunity, suggesting possible need for extra vaccine boost.
5 citations,
December 1979 in “Clinical and Experimental Dermatology” Anti-androgens are effective for female acne but less so for male-pattern hair loss, with side effects similar to birth control pills.
3 citations,
March 2021 in “Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” The letter is skeptical about the effectiveness of anti-androgen therapy for COVID-19 and calls for strong evidence from clinical trials.
September 2022 in “Frontiers in Immunology” Anti-androgen therapy may boost immunity but increases injection site pain in vaccinated patients.
47 citations,
April 2020 in “Dermatologic Therapy” Androgenetic alopecia linked to COVID-19 severity; drugs reducing androgen receptor activation may help.
