Association of Primary Cicatricial Alopecia with Subsequent Cardiovascular Disease

This large-scale nationwide longitudinal cohort study involving 406,016 patients found that individuals with primary cicatricial alopecia (PCA) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke, compared to those without alopecia. Subtypes like folliculitis decalvans and lichen planopilaris (LPP) were notably linked to higher CVD risk. The study suggests a potential connection between lipid metabolism dysregulation and the increased CVD risk in PCA patients. However, no significant difference in CVD risk was observed between PCA and noncicatricial alopecia (NCA) patients. The findings highlight the importance of monitoring cardiovascular health in PCA patients and recommend lifestyle changes to reduce CVD risk. The study's limitations include a lack of detailed clinical data and a predominantly Asian study population.