The Evolving Global Burden Of Alopecia Areata In Young Adults: High-Income Nations Bear The Greatest Impact

November 2025 in “ Annals of Dermatology ”

Yuan Ma, Yuanchen Zhang, Shuai Dong, Yan Mu

TLDR Alopecia Areata affects young adults more in high-income countries, especially females.

The study examined the global burden of alopecia areata (AA) in young adults aged 15-49 from 1990 to 2021, revealing a decline in global age-standardized incidence rates (ASIR) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for AA, with high-income regions experiencing a more significant decrease but still bearing the greatest impact. Women and individuals aged 30-34 showed higher rates of AA. A strong positive correlation was found between the Socio-demographic Index (SDI) and AA burden, indicating that high-income nations are disproportionately affected. Despite overall declines, regions like East Asia and Oman showed rising incidence rates, while East Asia and Guatemala experienced an increasing burden. The study underscores the need for targeted prevention and management strategies, especially in high-SDI regions.

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research Global Burden of Alopecia Areata from 1990 to 2019 and Emerging Treatment Trends Analyzed Through GBD 2019 and Bibliometric Data

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research Etiopathogenesis of Alopecia Areata: Why Do Our Patients Get It?

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