The association between androgenic alopecia severity and the development of metabolic syndrome in Saudi Arabia: A case-control study

Background: Androgenic alopecia (AGA) is a common type of chronic progressive hair loss that affects both males and females. AGA was shown to be associated with metabolic syndrome (MS) in many studies; the correlation between the AGA grade and MS, however, is still debatable. Purpose: The objective of the study was to assess the severity of AGA in a sample of patients suffering from this condition and its association with MS. Methods: This case-control study included 319 patients attending a dermatology clinic at a tertiary care hospital. Anthropometrics, blood pressure, lipid profile, and fasting blood sugar were collected from patients' records. Patients with AGA were allocated to the case group and were stratified based on severity using the Ludwig hair loss scale for females and the Norwood scale for males. The control group was composed of patients free of any hair condition. Data were analyzed using version 25 of SPSS. Results: MS was seen in 26.4% and 10.2% in cases and controls, respectively (P < 0.05). In terms of severity, MS was found in 21.6% of Grade I, 30.5% of Grade II, and 42.9% of Grade III patients. Although the findings showed no statistical significance (P > 0.05), the burden of MS was associated with the severity of AGA. Conclusion: Our findings suggest an association between MS and AGA and that burden of MS is associated with the severity of AGA, although the analysis showed no statistical significance. Based on our results, we think that early screening for MS might be beneficial to patients with AGA, as this will encourage early lifestyle modification to hopefully prevent future complications.