Serum irisin and insulin resistance in patients with early-onset androgenetic alopecia: a case-control study

Early-onset androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common form of male hair loss and is associated with metabolic dysregulation. Irisin is an adipomyokine that has been proposed to regulate insulin sensitivity and metabolic syndrome (MS). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the serum irisin levels and metabolic parameters associated with insulin resistance (IR) in male patients with early-onset AGA.

This case-control study included 40 male patients (mean age: 23.1) with early-onset AGA and 40 healthy men (mean age: 22.5). Anthropometric measurements (body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure) and fasting biochemical parameters (glucose, insulin, lipid profile, uric acid, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)) were assessed. To evaluate IR, the Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA-IR) was used.

Early-onset AGA patients had significantly higher BMI and waist circumference compared to controls (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in blood pressure, presence of IR, glucose, insulin, lipid levels, uric acid, hs-CRP, ESR and serum irisin levels between groups (p > 0.05). Severity of disease was not associated with differences in biochemical parameters or serum irisin levels.

This preliminary study found no significant differences in serum irisin or IR between early-onset AGA patients and healthy controls suggesting that irisin signaling may be more pronounced in phenotypes with a higher metabolic load. However, higher BMI and waist circumference in AGA patients suggest a predisposition to obesity-related metabolic disorders. Early monitoring of men with early-onset AGA may help prevent long-term cardiometabolic consequences.