Increased Risk of Vitamin D Deficiency and Insufficiency in Black Patients With Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia

February 2022 in “ Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology ”

Molly Collins, Shaheir Ali, Isa Pupo Wiss, Maryanne M. Senna

central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia CCCA vitamin D deficiency VDD vitamin D insufficiency VDI alopecia hair loss vitamin D

TLDR Black patients with a specific type of hair loss have a much higher chance of lacking enough vitamin D.

A retrospective chart review of 54 Black patients diagnosed with central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) at a specialty alopecia clinic found a significant relationship between vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and insufficiency (VDI) and CCCA. Of the 27 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 92.5% had VDD or VDI. Compared to Black individuals in the general population, Black patients with CCCA had over 5 times increased odds of having VDD or VDI (odds ratio = 5.43; 95% CI, 5.43-177.63; P = .0018) and a significantly higher prevalence of VDD and VDI (92.6% vs 69.7%, P < .001). Notably, 89% of the patients with VDD or VDI had a CCCA severity score of 3 or higher. The study suggests future research should investigate the relationships between the severity of VDD and the severity of hair loss in Black patients with CCCA within a larger population.

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research Central Scalp Alopecia Photographic Scale in African American Women

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research Response to Weinstein's 'Increased Risk of Vitamin D Deficiency in Black Patients with Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia'

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The authors maintain there is a significant link between vitamin D deficiency and central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia in Black patients, and call for more research on the topic.

Vitamin D Deficiency in Non-Scarring and Scarring Alopecias: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis