Alopecia areata is not a risk factor for heart diseases: A 10-year retrospective cohort study

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 16; no. 5; p. e0250216
• Main Authors: Lee, Heera, Kim, You Chan, Choi, Jee Woong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 07.05.2021; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Alopecia; Alopecia Areata - complications; Alopecia Areata - epidemiology; Angina; Angina pectoris; Autoimmune diseases; Baldness; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Codes; Cohort analysis; Confidence intervals; Congestive heart failure; Coronary artery disease; Dermatitis; Dermatology; Development and progression; Diagnosis; Female; Follicles; Hair; Health risks; Heart attacks; Heart diseases; Heart Diseases - epidemiology; Heart Diseases - etiology; Heart failure; Humans; Incidence; Inflammation; Inflammatory response; Male; Medicine; Medicine and Health Sciences; Middle Aged; Myocardial infarction; Population; Regression analysis; Research and Analysis Methods; Retrospective Studies; Risk analysis; Risk Factors; Scars; Software; Statistical analysis; Young Adult; South Korea
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250216

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune skin disease caused by chronic inflammation of hair follicles. Chronic inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis and lupus erythematosus can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, the relationship between AA and heart diseases (HDs) remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted this retrospective cohort study to evaluate the risk of subsequent HDs in patients with AA. We reviewed 3770 cases of AA and from 18,850 age, sex, and income level-matched controls from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort. In the subgroup analysis, patients who suffered from alopecia totalis, alopecia universalis, and ophiasis were designated as patients with severe AA and patients having the disease for over a year were designated as patients with long-standing AA. As a result, we found that AA was not associated with a higher risk of heart failure, angina pectoris, or myocardial infarction. There was no significant increase in the risk of overall HD associated with AA (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.17; 95% confidence interval: 0.93–1.48; p = 0.177). Neither the severity nor the duration of AA was related to an increased risk of HDs. During the study period, AA patients did not show a significantly higher cumulative incidence of HDs than controls (log-rank p = 0.157). In conclusion, AA does not increase the risk of HD.