Patients with Psoriasis at greater risk of Developing Alopecia Areata
Patients with Psoriasis are at a greater risk of Developing Alopecia Areata, according to a recent study published in The Journal of Dermatology.
The association between psoriasis and alopecia areata has not been thoroughly investigated. The objective of this study is to investigate the association of psoriasis with alopecia areata. An electronic search was conducted in August 2021. The analysis included studies that reported sufficient data on the prevalence, odds, or hazard of alopecia areata in patients with psoriasis or that of psoriasis in patients with alopecia areata. Meta-analysis using an inverse variance method was performed with a random-effects model, assuming inherent heterogeneity between the included studies. The subgroup analyses were performed according to the age group and study quality. A total of 27 studies were included.
The results of the study are:
The pooled prevalence of alopecia areata among patients with psoriasis was 0.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.3–0.7%). The pooled odds ratio of alopecia areata among patients with psoriasis was 2.71 (95% CI, 2.29–3.21), whereas the pooled prevalence of psoriasis among patients with alopecia areata was 2.5% (95% CI, 2.0–3.0%). Moreover, the pooled odds ratio of psoriasis among patients with alopecia areata was 3.52 (95% CI, 1.27–9.74). According to the age group and study quality, the association of psoriasis and alopecia areata remained in the subgroup analyses.
In conclusion, this study suggests a bidirectional association between psoriasis and alopecia areata. Clinical examinations may be necessary to determine the presence of comorbid alopecia areata in patients with psoriasis and vice versa.
Reference:
Association between psoriasis and alopecia areata: A systematic review and meta-analysis by Joon Min Jung, et al. published in The Journal of Dermatology
https://doi.org/10.1111/1346-8138.16420
