No Increased Risk of Alopecia in Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients: A Population-Based Cohort Study in Taiwan

A population-based cohort study in Taiwan investigated the association between ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and alopecia using data from over 1,000,000 patients. The study included 3,640 patients with AS and 14,560 non-AS controls. The results, analyzed using the Cox proportional hazard model and Kaplan-Meier analysis, showed no statistically significant increased risk of developing alopecia in AS patients, with both crude and adjusted hazard ratios being 1.16. Subgroup analyses by age and gender also showed no significant risk. However, a significant positive correlation was found between atopic dermatitis and alopecia, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 8.05. Overall, the study concluded that there was no increased risk of alopecia in patients with AS.