Association Between Serum Trace Elements Level and Alopecia Areata: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

    December 2024 in “ Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology
    Ruiying Wu, Yuanwen Li, Hongye Peng, Zhishan Yang, Ying Wang, Shuying Lv, Dingquan Yang
    TLDR Vitamin D and zinc may help treat alopecia areata.
    This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the association between serum trace elements (zinc, copper, and vitamin D) and alopecia areata (AA) across 34 studies with 4,931 participants from 16 countries. The findings indicate that lower serum zinc and vitamin D levels are significantly associated with AA, suggesting these deficiencies as potential risk factors. The results for copper were less consistent, with no significant difference found in serum levels between AA patients and healthy controls. The study highlights the potential importance of micronutrients in AA development and suggests further research to clarify these associations, despite limitations such as high heterogeneity among studies.
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