WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study published in The BMJ by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania examined whether GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are linked to a higher risk of hair loss compared with two other commonly used diabetes medicines.
The researchers compared 12,004 people taking GLP-1 drugs with 15,221 people using SGLT-2 inhibitors. They also compared another 11,964 GLP-1 users with 11,233 people taking DPP-4 inhibitors. After accounting for factors such as age and weight, the study found that people taking GLP-1 drugs had a 37 percent higher risk of developing alopecia than those using SGLT-2 inhibitors. Compared with DPP-4 inhibitors, GLP-1 drugs were linked to a 68 percent higher risk of hair loss.
According to the team, the most likely reason for the hair loss is rapid weight loss and reduced calorie intake. Eating fewer calories may cause physical stress and lead to deficiencies of nutrients such as iron, zinc, and biotin, which are important for healthy hair growth. They added that changes in metabolism, hormones, and the immune system caused by GLP-1 drugs could also play a role, although more research is needed.
Further analysis suggested the increased risk was mainly for non-scarring alopecia, a type of hair loss in which the hair follicles remain intact, meaning hair may grow back.
'Weight loss and changes in nutritional status, common consequences of GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy, are established risk factors for telogen effluvium, a common and typically transient form of non-scarring hair loss, providing a plausible biological mechanism for this association,' the researchers wrote.
The researchers noted that previous case reports and analyses of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System have also reported hair loss after people started taking GLP-1 receptor agonists, especially semaglutide (sold as Wegovy and Ozempic) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro).
While hair loss is not usually physically harmful, the researchers said it can affect a person's confidence, quality of life, and willingness to continue treatment.
'Our findings extend previous anecdotal safety signals and provide more systematic evidence to inform clinical awareness of this potential adverse effect,' the researchers concluded.
'In addition, these results highlight the need for further research to elucidate potential mechanistic links between GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy, weight loss, and hair loss, and to identify patient level risk factors that may increase susceptibility to hair loss.'
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