Prevalence of Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases and Mental Health Conditions Among an Alopecia Areata Cohort from a US Administrative Claims Database

June 2023 in “ Journal of Dermatology ”

Prethibha George, Oladayo Jagun, Qing Liu, Charles Wentworth, Lynne Napatalung, Robert Wolk, Susan D. Anway, Samuel H. Zwillich

alopecia areata autoimmune diseases inflammatory diseases allergic rhinitis asthma atopic dermatitis anxiety major depressive disorder AA

TLDR People with Alopecia Areata are more likely to have autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases, and mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

The study examined 8,784 patients with Alopecia Areata (AA) and 26,352 without, finding a higher prevalence of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and mental health conditions in the AA group. The prevalence and incidence rate of AA were 54.9 per 100,000 persons and 17.5 per 100,000 person-years, respectively. The most common autoimmune and inflammatory diseases were allergic rhinitis (24.0%), asthma (12.8%), and atopic dermatitis (8.3%). Anxiety (30.7%) and major depressive disorder (17.5%) were more prevalent in the AA group. The study suggests that the pathophysiology of AA may increase the risk of other autoimmune, inflammatory, or mental health conditions, emphasizing the need for appropriate screening upon AA diagnosis and periodically after for earlier intervention and improved outcomes.

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Research cited in this study

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