Is alopecia linked to psychiatric and autoimmune disorders?

Investigators examined whether alopecia areata may be associated with a higher risk of psychiatric and autoimmune disorders.

In a study, published in JAMA Dermatology, the investigators used the medical and drug claims from the Merative MarketScan Research Databases to compare the prevalence of psychiatric and autoimmune disorders among 63,384 patients with alopecia areata and 3.3 million controls.

The investigators found that compared with controls, the patients with alopecia areata had a higher baseline prevalence and incidence of new-onset psychiatric disorders and autoimmune disorders. Further, the patients with alopecia areata had a higher risk of developing panic disorders, lupus, atopic dermatitis and vitiligo.

The findings indicated that early treatment may help alleviate the severity of alopecia areata and minimize the risks of psychiatric and autoimmune disorders.

Read more: JAMA Dermatology

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