Trends in Prevalence and Incidence of Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Totalis, and Alopecia Universalis Among Adults and Children in a US Employer-Sponsored Insured Population
March 2023
in “
JAMA Dermatology
”
TLDR Alopecia areata and its severe forms are becoming more common, especially among females, adults, and people in the Northeast.
This cohort study examined the prevalence and incidence of alopecia areata (AA), alopecia totalis (AT), and alopecia universalis (AU) in a US employer-sponsored insured population from 2016 to 2019, using data from over 25 million patients annually. The study found a slight increase in the prevalence of AA from 0.199% to 0.222% and AT/AU from 0.012% to 0.019%, with AA incidence ranging from 87.39 to 92.90 cases per 100,000 person-years. Higher rates were observed among females, adults, and individuals in the Northeast. The study highlights the need for further research to understand subpopulation differences and suggests a growing burden of AA and AT/AU, possibly due to increased healthcare-seeking behavior and new treatment approvals.
