Co-Relation Between Androgenetic Alopecia and Severity of COVID-19 Disease - A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Objective: To find the correlation between the degree of androgenetic alopecia and the severity of COVID-19 disease. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of the Study: Dermatology department, PEMH, Rawalpindi Pakistan from Feb to Aug 2021. Methodology: A total of 227 patients (male and female) of COVID-19 admitted in a Corona ward of Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan were selected randomly. The degree of androgenetic alopecia was assessed with the help of using the Hamilton-Norwood Scale (HNS) for men and the Ludwig Scale (LS) for women, and the severity of COVID-19 was graded based on CT severity score (CTSS). Results: Out of the total, 161 (71%) were male, and 66 (29%) were female. Out of 161 males, 31 (19.2%) had no alopecia, and 130 (80.7%) had some degree of alopecia. Out of patients with alopecia, 33 had moderate alopecia, and 97 had severe alopecia. Out of 66 females, 32 (48.5%) had no alopecia, while 34 (51.5%) had some degree of alopecia. Conclusion: High frequency of androgenetic alopecia in severely ill-hospitalized patients of COVID-19 suggests that androgen has a vital role in the disease severity of COVID-19.

Keywords

• Androgenetic alopecia
• Androgens
• COVID-19
• 5-Alpha-reductase