Recent studies have found that GLP-1 drugs, used to treat obesity and diabetes, are associated with a higher risk of hair loss. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania reported that the odds of a new diagnosis of alopecia in GLP-1 users were 37% higher than in users of SGLT-2 drugs and 68% higher versus DPP-4 drugs.

Study Findings

The studies, which included semaglutide, tirzepatide, and other GLP-1 drugs, found that actual rates of alopecia were low, ranging from roughly 3 to 9 per 1,000 people per year. A separate study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found significantly higher risks of various subtypes of alopecia with GLP-1 drugs than with the commonly used diabetes drug metformin.

A third study compared 11,046 patients taking tirzepatide with the same number taking semaglutide and found that rates of new-onset alopecia were 4.24% with tirzepatide and 3.33% with semaglutide. In female users of GLP-1 drugs, those rates were 5.44% with tirzepatide versus 3.63% with semaglutide.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.