Dissertation UDS Brand: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Vitamin D Status and Alopecia Areata

This dissertation conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to explore the relationship between vitamin D status and alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease causing hair loss. The analysis included 18 case-control studies and found that patients with alopecia areata had, on average, lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D serum levels by 9.3 ng/ml compared to controls, with a significantly increased risk of vitamin D deficiency. However, due to the nature of the studies, no causal relationship could be established. The study highlighted the need for future large-scale, prospective interventional studies to determine if there is a causal link between vitamin D levels and alopecia areata.