Association Between Vitamin D and Zinc Levels With Alopecia Areata Phenotypes at a Tertiary Care Center

April 2021 in “ Cureus ”

S. M. Alamoudi, Siham M Marghalani, Rakan S Alajmi, Yara E Aljefri, Abdullah F Alafif

Vitamin D Zinc Alopecia Areata AA patchy alopecia areata universalis totalis hypothyroidism atopic diseases

From the encyclopedia

Vitamin D →

vitamin you should probably be taking for general health might also help your hair a little

Zinc →

Alopecia Areata →

autoimmune disorder causing patchy hair loss

Studysummary In this study, 62.7% of patients with alopecia areata had deficient vitamin D levels, yet there was no significant link between these levels and specific alopecia areata patterns.

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The study "Association Between Vitamin D and Zinc Levels With Alopecia Areata Phenotypes at a Tertiary Care Center" analyzed 177 patients with Alopecia Areata (AA) and found that 62.7% of them had deficient Vitamin D levels. However, no significant association was found between Vitamin D levels and AA phenotype or disease activity. Zinc levels were reported in only 22 patients, with only one patient having deficient levels. The most common AA phenotype was patchy alopecia areata (60.45%), followed by universalis (9%) and totalis (7%). The most prevalent comorbidity was hypothyroidism (11.8%), followed by atopic diseases (10.7%). The study concluded that Vitamin D deficiency is common among the population and its effect on disease severity requires additional exploration. Further clinical studies with larger samples are needed to better understand whether or not Vitamin D and serum zinc levels influence the type or course of AA.

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Research cited in this study

12 / 12 results

research Vitamin D and Alopecia Areata: Possible Roles in Pathogenesis and Potential Implications for Therapy

14 citations , January 2019 in “PubMed”

This review examines the potential roles of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of alopecia areata and suggests that vitamin D analogs like calcipotriol may have therapeutic potential.

research Systemic Treatments for Alopecia Areata: A Systematic Review

41 citations , September 2018 in “Australasian journal of dermatology”

This review suggests that oral prednisolone pulse therapy and oral inosiplex may be effective for alopecia areata, but robust evidence from randomized controlled trials is lacking, highlighting the need for better-designed future studies.

research An Investigation of Vitamin D Status in Alopecia Areata

37 citations , June 2018 in “Clinical and Experimental Medicine”

This study found that patients with alopecia areata had significant systemic inflammation and vitamin D deficiency, with both conditions more pronounced as disease severity increased.

research Increased Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in Patients with Alopecia Areata: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

48 citations , April 2018 in “JEADV. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology/Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology”

This study found that individuals with alopecia areata had significantly lower serum vitamin D levels and a higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency compared to people without the condition.

research Vitamin D Deficiency in Patients With Alopecia Areata: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

32 citations , December 2017 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

Alopecia areata patients often have low vitamin D levels.

research The Role of Vitamin D in Non-Scarring Alopecia

32 citations , December 2017 in “International Journal of Molecular Sciences”

This review suggests that decreased serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels may play a role in different types of non-scarring alopecia, but further studies are needed to explore vitamin D supplementation as a therapeutic option.

research The Role of Micronutrients in Alopecia Areata: A Review

63 citations , May 2017 in “American Journal of Clinical Dermatology”

This review found that patients with alopecia areata may have lower levels of vitamin D, zinc, and folate, but conflicting evidence precludes definitive clinical recommendations for micronutrient supplementation.

research Changes of Serum Trace Elements Level in Patients with Alopecia Areata: A Meta-Analysis

23 citations , February 2017 in “Journal of dermatology”

This meta-analysis suggests that patients with alopecia areata have lower serum levels of zinc and selenium compared to healthy controls, which may be important risk factors for the condition.

research Familial Aggregation of Alopecia Areata

295 citations , May 2016 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This review examines the immunological aspects of alopecia areata, focusing on genetic, neuroimmunological, and immune privilege factors, but does not report new clinical findings.

research Evaluation of Serum Zinc Level in Patients With Newly Diagnosed and Resistant Alopecia Areata

52 citations , July 2015 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

This study found that patients with alopecia areata had significantly lower serum zinc levels, which correlated inversely with disease severity, duration, and resistance to therapies, suggesting zinc assessment as a marker of disease status.

research Vitamin D Deficiency in Alopecia Areata

105 citations , March 2014 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement”

In this study, patients with alopecia areata were found to have significantly lower serum vitamin D levels compared to those with vitiligo and healthy individuals, with lower levels correlating with increased disease severity.

The Therapeutic Effect and Changed Serum Zinc Level After Zinc Supplementation in Alopecia Areata Patients with Low Serum Zinc Level

research The Therapeutic Effect and Changed Serum Zinc Level After Zinc Supplementation in Alopecia Areata Patients with Low Serum Zinc Level

65 citations , January 2009 in “Annals of Dermatology”

In this study, oral zinc supplementation for twelve weeks increased serum zinc levels in alopecia areata patients with low zinc, showing positive hair regrowth in 66.7% of participants, though this was not statistically significant.