Alopecia Areata Associated With the Risk of Dementia

Patients with alopecia areata (AA) are at a higher risk for developing dementia than patients without AA.

In a nationwide cohort study, researchers aimed to identify the association between AA and dementia since the great negative psychosocial impact of AA can result in poor social engagement, which is a risk factor for dementia.

Patients with AA aged 45 years or older and matched controls identified via the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database were included in the study. The patients were investigated for subsequent dementia from enrollment (1998-2011) to the end of 2013. Statistical analyses determined dementia risk between the AA and control groups.

Patients with AA showed a higher risk for developing dementia, Alzheimer disease (AD), and unspecified dementia compared with the control group. Age and sex did not impact the risk of dementia, but male patients and those with dementia onset at age 65 years or older had increased risk for AD.

“Patients with AA had a higher risk of developing dementia,” concluded the study authors. “Further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying pathophysiology between AA and dementia risk,” they added.

Reference
Li CY, Tai YH, Dai YX, et al. Association of alopecia areata and the risk of dementia: a nationwide cohort study. J Clin Psychiatry. 2021;82(6):21m13931. doi:10.4088/JCP.21m13931