Comorbidities in Alopecia Areata: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
February 2019
in “
Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology
”
alopecia areata atopic diseases metabolic syndrome Helicobacter pylori infection lupus erythematosus iron deficiency anemia thyroid diseases psychiatric diseases vitamin D deficiency autoimmune diseases diabetes mellitus cancers AA H. pylori lupus iron deficiency thyroid issues mental health conditions autoimmune conditions diabetes cancer
![Image of study](/images/research/124e85e9-5985-4673-bdcd-931acfc56852/medium/17750.jpg)
TLDR People with alopecia areata often have other health issues like skin diseases, metabolic syndrome, stomach infections, lupus, anemia, thyroid problems, mental health issues, vitamin D deficiency, and hearing and eye problems.
The systematic review and meta-analysis from 2019 found that patients with alopecia areata (AA) had a higher prevalence of several comorbid conditions compared to controls without AA. These conditions included atopic diseases, metabolic syndrome, Helicobacter pylori infection, lupus erythematosus, iron deficiency anemia, thyroid diseases, psychiatric diseases, vitamin D deficiency, and audiologic and ophthalmic abnormalities. Additionally, there was an increased risk of autoimmune diseases in AA patients. The study also reported that AA patients had lower odds of having certain other diseases, including diabetes mellitus and various cancers. The review called for larger studies to confirm these associations and emphasized the importance of physicians being aware of these comorbid conditions for better evaluation and management of AA patients. The document did not provide the number of people in the study, which is important for assessing the strength of the study.