Androgenetic Alopecia Risk in Allergic Rhinitis: A Cohort Study of Immune and Antihistamine Effects

April 2026 in “ World Allergy Organization Journal ”

Hanwei Zhang, Ya-Ting Chang, Yi-Jie Kuo, Yu‐Pin Chen, Yu-Shan Lin, Fuu-Jen Tsai

androgenetic alopecia allergic rhinitis second-generation H1-antihistamines immune pathways systemic inflammation immune dysregulation hair loss AGA AR sgSH

TLDR Allergic rhinitis increases hair loss risk, but antihistamines can reduce it.

This cohort study involving 539,397 patients from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database found that individuals with allergic rhinitis (AR) have a higher risk of developing androgenetic alopecia (AGA), with an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of 1.81. However, the use of second-generation H1-antihistamines (sgSH) significantly reduced the risk of AGA in AR patients, particularly those under 30, with an aHR of 0.23. The study suggests a potential link between immune pathways in AR and AGA, highlighting the role of systemic inflammation and immune dysregulation in hair loss. It emphasizes the need for further research to explore these interactions and the potential of sgSH as a preventive or therapeutic measure for AGA.

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