PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS OF ALOPECIA AREATA AMONG GENERAL POPULATION: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Background: Alopecia areata is a common, clinically heterogeneous, autoimmune and non-scarring hair loss disorder. This disease is not contagious and most often occurs in otherwise healthy people and it affects all age groups, though it is more common in children and adolescent. Some studies were done in this area in families with two or more affected members and reported a strong evidence of genetic association with increased risk for alopecia areata. Objectives: This study aimed to review the prevalence and risk factors of alopecia areata among the general population in previously conducted studies covering these points. Methods: PubMed database and EBSCO Information Services were used for articles Screening. All related papers with the subjects to study regarding prevalence and risk factors of alopecia areata, and other articles have been used. We excluded additional papers that are not relevant to this topic. The data was collected as per the particular manner in which the group members would study it. Conclusion: AA is the most prevalent autoimmune disorder and the second most prevalent hair loss disorder after androgenetic alopecia, and the lifetime risk in the global population is approximately 2%. Genetic factor is strong in AA, but environmental factors such as infection and psychological stress may still play an important role. AA is associated with psychiatric and medical comorbidities including depression, anxiety, and several autoimmune disorders, and an increased global burden of disease. Keywords: alopecia, alopecia areata, hair loss, trichoscopy, treatments, pathogenesis, and epidemiology