Quality of Life Assessment in Patients with Alopecia Areata and Androgenetic Alopecia in the People's Republic of China
January 2017
in “
Patient Preference and Adherence
”
TLDR Alopecia affects patients' quality of life, with younger patients and longer-lasting hair loss experiencing greater impact.
This study assessed the quality of life (QoL) of Chinese patients with alopecia areata (AA) and androgenetic alopecia (AGA) using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire. A total of 178 AA and AGA patients were enrolled in this study, and DLQI was used to evaluate the QoL of the patients. The DLQI scores of the 178 patients ranged from 0 to 28, with a mean score of 6.3. Higher DLQI scores were reported by younger patients and by those who had hair loss for a duration of >12 months. The DLQI score of AA patients was significantly higher than that of AGA patients. Both AA and AGA moderately affected the QoL of the patients not only in physiological aspects but also in their emotional and social aspects. The study highlights the importance of assessing the QoL of patients with alopecia and the need for effective treatments to improve their QoL.