Risk of Valproic Acid-Related Alopecia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

    April 2019 in “ Seizure ”
    Xueping Wang, Haijiao Wang, Da Xu, Lina Zhu, Ling Liu
    Image of study
    TLDR Valproic acid increases the risk of hair loss more than other drugs, especially in migraine patients, and lamotrigine may be a safer alternative.
    The systematic review and meta-analysis by Xueping Wang and colleagues from 2019 analyzed the risk of alopecia in patients treated with valproic acid (VPA) compared to other drugs. The study included 25 articles with sample sizes ranging from 28 to 480 patients, totaling 1587 patients treated with VPA. It found that VPA therapy was associated with a significantly higher risk of hair loss, with an overall incidence of 11%. The risk was higher compared to all other drugs (odds ratio [OR] 5.02), other antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) (OR 4.82), and non-AEDs (OR 5.84). The increased risk was more frequently reported in patients with migraine than those with epilepsy, and the risk did not depend on the dose or treatment duration. The study concluded that VPA has a higher risk of inducing alopecia and suggested that lamotrigine (LTG) may be a preferable alternative due to its lower risk of hair loss. The authors recommended larger studies to confirm these findings and to investigate the dose-dependency of the risk.
    Discuss this study in the Community →

    Research cited in this study

    8 / 8 results

    Related Community Posts Join

    6 / 9 results

      community Here is my hair regrowth plan

      in Treatment  4 upvotes 4 years ago
      The user's hair regrowth plan includes topical treatments (RU58841, azelaic acid, ketoconazole), oral supplements (Gia Herbs, castor oil), microneedling, PTD-DBM peptide with valproic acid, red light therapy, inversion table with scalp massage, and platelet-rich fibrin injections. Commenters suggest that finasteride and minoxidil are essential treatments for male pattern hair loss, which are missing from the plan.

      community Anyone used Topical Calcipotriol (cream) or VPA ( Valproic Acid)

      in Chat  7 upvotes 3 years ago
      The conversation discusses using topical Calcipotriol and Valproic Acid for hair loss, focusing on their mechanisms involving the VDR receptor and Wnt/beta-catenin pathway. Specific treatments mentioned are Minoxidil, Finasteride, and RU58841.

      community Topical VPA - Anyone experiences here?

      in Question  2 upvotes 6 years ago
      The conversation is about using topical valproic acid (VPA) for hair loss, focusing on its application method, usage frequency, and combination with other treatments like micro-needling. No specific experiences with VPA were shared.

      community Figuring out my own experimental protocol

      in Treatment  9 upvotes 1 year ago
      User tries dermapen for hair loss and plans to use non-mainstream topicals like c60, ghk-cu, and ptd-dbm with valproic acid. They also use a head massager and modified LLLT belt for additional treatment.

    Similar Research

    5 / 437 results