Post-COVID Telogen Effluvium: The Diagnostic Value of Serum Ferritin Biomarker and the Preventive Value of Dietary Supplements. A Case-Control Study

June 2024 in “ Archives of dermatological research ”

Nermeen Ibrahim Bedair, Alsayed Abdel‐Aziz, Fatemaalzahraa Saad Abdelrazik, Mohamed El-Kassas, Mohamed Hussein AbouHadeed

telogen effluvium serum ferritin dietary supplements azithromycin ivermectin vitamin C vitamin D lactoferrin zinc post-COVID hair loss TE iron supplements

TLDR Dietary supplements might help prevent post-COVID hair loss, but serum ferritin is not a reliable indicator.

This case-control study investigated the diagnostic value of serum ferritin and the preventive value of dietary supplements in post-COVID telogen effluvium (TE) among 100 patients recovering from COVID-19. The study found that patients with TE had significantly lower serum ferritin levels (68.52±126 ug/L) compared to controls (137±137.597 ug/L), but these levels were still above the cutoff for diagnosing nonanemic iron deficiency, suggesting ferritin is not a reliable biomarker for post-COVID TE. Additionally, TE patients used more azithromycin and ivermectin and less vitamin C, D, lactoferrin, and zinc, indicating that these supplements might help prevent post-COVID hair loss, while the medications could have a negative long-term effect.

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Research cited in this study

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