Higher plasma leptin is associated with higher risk of androgenetic alopecia in men.

In addition to genetics and androgens, novel factors could play a role in androgenetic alopecia (AGA). This study aims to investigate the association between plasma leptin level with the risk and severity of AGA in men. Forty-eight subjects were enrolled including 29 AGA and 19 non-AGA subjects. The plasma leptin level was significantly higher in AGA subjects, compared to non-AGA subjects (4.45 vs 2.76 ng/mL, P<.05). A higher plasma leptin levels were positively correlated with the risk of developing AGA in multivariate logistic analysis (odds ratio=2.77, P<.05). Leptin from the circulation might impact the development of AGA.