Risk of Alopecia Areata Increased With Immune-Related Disease

A personal history of an immune-mediated disease was associated with increased risk of subsequent alopecia areata in a prospective study of US women published online ahead of print in the Archives of Dermatological Research.

Researchers followed 63,692 women, aged 53 to 80 years, from the Nurses’ Health Study between 2002 and 2014 to investigate whether immune-mediated disease was associated with the risk of developing alopecia areata.

Over follow-up, 133 women were diagnosed with the condition, according to the study. The hazard ratio for developing alopecia areata with a personal history of any immune-mediated disease was 1.72.

The risk was higher with several specific immune-related conditions. Hazard ratios for alopecia areata were 5.43 with a history of systemic lupus erythematosus, 4.10 with a history of multiple sclerosis, 3.13 with a history of vitiligo, 2.01 with a history of psoriasis, and 1.88 with a history of hypothyroidism, the study authors found.

The hazard ratio of alopecia areata with a history of rheumatoid arthritis was 1.66.

“History of inflammatory bowel disease or Graves’ disease/hyperthyroidism was not significantly associated with alopecia areata risk,” reported researchers.

Reference:
Moseley IH, Thompson JM, George EA, et al. Immune-mediated diseases and subsequent risk of alopecia areata in a prospective study of US women. Arch Dermatol Res. Published online November 1, 2022. doi:10.1007/s00403-022-02444-x