Increased Risk of Alopecia Areata in Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Korean Nationwide Population-Based Study

    February 2023 in “ Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology ”
    Sanghoon Lee, Solam Lee, Hyun Kang, Jin‐Hee Lee, Won‐Soo Lee
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    TLDR People with autism are more likely to develop alopecia areata than those without autism.
    This Korean nationwide population-based study investigated the association between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and alopecia areata (AA) using data from 19,084 patients with ASD and 95,420 controls. The study found that patients with ASD had a significantly increased risk of developing AA (HR, 1.238; 95% CI, 1.100–1.395), particularly patchy alopecia, even after adjusting for factors like thyroid diseases, autoimmune hepatitis, and vitamin D deficiency. The study suggests a potential link between ASD and AA due to shared mechanisms of autoimmunity and immune dysregulation. However, the study's limitations include its single-ethnicity, retrospective design, and potential over-detection of comorbidities in ASD patients. Further research is needed to explore the complex relationship between ASD and AA.
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