Efficacy and Safety of Compound Glycyrrhizin in Patients with Alopecia Areata: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the efficacy and safety of compound glycyrrhizin (CG) as an add-on treatment for alopecia areata (AA) across 23 studies with 2,219 patients. The findings indicated that CG combined with conventional treatments significantly improved cure rates (RR = 1.60) and total efficacy rates (RR = 1.37) compared to conventional treatments alone, regardless of treatment type, duration, or CG dosage. While some patients experienced mild adverse events like oedema, elevated blood pressure, and gastrointestinal discomfort, the combination therapy was generally effective and safe for hair regrowth. However, the study noted limitations such as a focus on Chinese populations, suboptimal methodological quality, and short treatment durations, highlighting the need for more high-quality randomized controlled trials to confirm these results and evaluate long-term efficacy.