Lifestyle Factors and Androgenetic Alopecia: A Mendelian Randomization Study

This study examines the causal relationship between adjustable lifestyle factors and androgenetic alopecia (AGA). While traditionally AGA has not been linked to obesity or unhealthy lifestyles [29], our findings demonstrate a significant influence of lifestyle factors. This aligns with the understanding that AGA is influenced by both genetic and androgenic factors, as well as environmental and lifestyle factors [4]. \n\nOur study employs several strengths. Firstly, we utilized summary-level data from large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS), enabling us to investigate the causal relationship between lifestyle factors and AGA in a substantial sample size. Secondly, we employed multiple Mendelian randomization (MR) methods to assess the robustness of our findings. Thirdly, we conducted sensitivity analyses to test the assumptions of the MR analysis and explore potential pleiotropy. \n\nHowever, it is important to acknowledge the limitations of our study. We focused solely on investigating the causal effect of lifestyle factors on non-scarring alopecia within a European population. Therefore, the generalizability of our findings to other populations remains uncertain.