Covid-19 and Male Androgenetic Alopecia: Systematic Investigation of a Potential Epidemiological and Genetic Association

The study investigated the potential association between male androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and severe Covid-19 using data from the UK Biobank and published GWAS data. Despite previous reports suggesting a link, the analyses found no significant epidemiological association between AGA and severe Covid-19, indicating that earlier findings were likely due to ascertainment biases. Genetic analyses also showed no general shared genetic component between the two conditions. However, specific pathways, such as vitamin metabolism, natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity, WNT signaling in men, and aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling in women, showed a significant association, suggesting a shared biological basis in these pathways. Overall, the study concluded that while there was no epidemiological link, certain biological pathways might connect AGA and Covid-19.