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Female Pattern Hair Loss Common During Menopause Transition

Body mass index ≥25 kg/m2 associated with greater likelihood of female pattern hair loss

THURSDAY, Feb. 24, 2022 (HealthDay News) — About half of postmenopausal women experience female pattern hair loss (FPHL), according to a study published online Feb. 14 in Menopause.

Sukanya Chaikittisilpa, M.D., from Chulalongkorn University and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, and colleagues assessed the prevalence of FPHL in healthy postmenopausal women. The analysis included 178 postmenopausal women (aged 50 to 65 years).

The researchers found that the prevalence of FPHL was 52.2 percent. FPHL severity, as measured by Ludwig classification, was 73.2 percent for grade I, 22.6 percent for grade II, and 4.3 percent for grade III. Age, time since menopause, and body mass index (BMI) were all significantly associated with FPHL, but when adjusting for age and family history of FPHL, only BMI ≥25 kg/m2 was significantly associated with FPHL (adjusted odds ratio, 2.65).

“Female pattern hair loss was prevalent and associated with lower self-esteem in healthy postmenopausal women in this small cross-sectional study,” Stephanie Faubion, M.D., medical director of the North American Menopause Society, said in a statement. “A better understanding of the mechanisms responsible for this common type of hair loss in women may lead to more effective preventive strategies and treatment options.”

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