The Association Between Low Circulating Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 and Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 With Hair Loss in Women: A Case-Control Study in Basrah, Iraq

This study investigated the relationship between serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) with female pattern hair loss (FPHL) in 84 women, including 64 patients with FPHL and 20 controls. Results showed that women with FPHL had significantly lower IGF-1 levels compared to controls, while IGFBP-3 levels were not significantly different. Elevated ferritin levels were observed in FPHL cases, with a weak positive correlation to hair loss severity, whereas IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 had weak inverse correlations with severity that were not statistically significant. The study suggests a potential role of reduced IGF-1 in FPHL, but further research is needed to clarify the IGF axis's role in hair follicle biology.