The following is a summary of “Androgenetic alopecia incidence in transgender and gender diverse populations: A retrospective comparative cohort study,” published in the SEPTEMBER 2023 issue of Dermatology by Gao, et al.

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) posed a significant concern for many transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals. However, there was limited data on the incidence of AGA in TGD patients undergoing gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) compared to cisgender individuals. For a study, researchers sought to investigate the occurrence of AGA in TGD patients receiving GAHT compared to cisgender patients.

The retrospective cohort study analyzed electronic health records from a total of 37,826 patients who were treated at Fenway Health between August 1, 2014, and August 1, 2020. Crude and adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRR) for AGA were calculated using Poisson regression.

Among TGD patients receiving masculinizing GAHT, the aIRR for AGA was 2.50 (95% CI 1.71-3.65) compared to cisgender women and 1.30 (95% CI 0.91-1.86) compared to cisgender men. For TGD patients on feminizing GAHT, there was no significant difference in the rate of AGA compared to cisgender men. Still, it was notably higher than cisgender women (aIRR 1.91, 95% CI 1.25-2.92). The study had limitations, including the inability to establish causation and limited generalizability.

TGD patients receiving masculinizing GAHT exhibited a 2.5 times higher rate of AGA when compared to cisgender women. Conversely, TGD patients on feminizing GAHT did not demonstrate a significantly increased rate of AGA compared to cisgender men.

Source: jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(23)00180-9/fulltext