The frequency of fatty liver in patients with alopecia areata: A case–control study

The study examined the frequency of fatty liver in 32 patients each with Alopecia Universalis (AU), Patchy Alopecia Areata (PAA), and a control group without hair loss disorders. The frequency of fatty liver was highest in AU patients (40.6%), followed by PAA patients (34.4%), and controls (21.9%), but the difference was not statistically significant. The study also found that metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance were reported to be higher in patients with Alopecia Areata (AA). Despite these findings, the study concluded that there is no strong correlation between AA and fatty liver due to the lack of statistical significance. The study suggests a potential link between fatty liver and AA, particularly the AU subtype, but larger studies are needed to confirm this correlation and establish a causal relationship. The study had limitations, including a small sample size and the use of ultrasound instead of liver biopsy for fatty liver evaluation.