Association Between Iron Deficiency and Telogen Effluvium: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

    April 2022 in “ Research Square (Research Square) ”
    Xiaojing Kang, Jingzhan Zhang, Meng-meng Guan, Yuan Ding, Yunsheng Ma, Tingting Li, Dai Li
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    TLDR Iron deficiency is linked to a common type of hair loss called telogen effluvium.
    A systematic review and meta-analysis of 20 studies found a significant association between iron deficiency and telogen effluvium, a common hair loss condition. The study revealed that patients with both acute and chronic telogen effluvium had lower serum iron and ferritin levels compared to the general population. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in these levels between patients with acute and chronic telogen effluvium. The prevalence of ferritin deficiency, a marker of iron deficiency, was higher in patients with chronic telogen effluvium when using ferritin levels of 20 ng/dl and 30 ng/dl as the threshold for diagnosing iron deficiency. This suggests that iron deficiency plays a role in telogen effluvium.
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