Exploring the association between alcohol consumption and androgenic alopecia

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is widely recognised as the most common form of hair loss and can significantly affect individuals’ quality of life. The association between alcohol consumption and AGA remains uncertain and controversial. Researchers in South Korea investigated the relationship between alcohol consumption and AGA.
Studies were identified from multiple databases, including Embase, MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science, up to March 2024. For alcohol consumption, studies were included where it was defined as a categorical variable, such as Yes/No or classified by grams. For AGA, only cases that were clinically diagnosed were included. Odds ratios (ORs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals were extracted from the included studies. Subgroup analyses were conducted, considering factors such as gender and study design.
The findings indicated that individuals who consume alcohol had an OR of AGA compared to those who do not drink alcohol (OR, 1.40; 95% CI: .95–2.06; k = 6; I2 = 77%). In the subgroup analysis focusing on men, an OR for alopecia was observed (OR, 1.31; 95% CI: .85–2.01. Additionally, a subgroup analysis based on study design revealed ORs of 1.93 (95% CI: 1.32–2.82for cross-sectional studies, and 1.69 (95% CI: 1.33–2.14 for case–control studies.
The results suggest that the effect of alcohol consumption on AGA may be less than initially assumed. Future research will require large, carefully planned cohort studies that incorporate standardised diagnostic criteria to provide more definitive insights.
Source: Won Jin Yang, Jae Yong Lee, Dai Sik Ko, Eunjeong Son, Kihyuk Shin, Won Kyu Kim, Kihun Kim, Yun Hak Kim, Exploring the association between alcohol consumption and androgenic alopecia: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Alcohol and Alcoholism, Volume 59, Issue 6, November 2024, agae076,