Serum ferritin and vitamin D levels in women with non‐scarring alopecia

Background: Female pattern hair loss is a problematic condition. The availability of a rapid indicator is crucial. The current study compared female pattern hair loss patients with healthy controls regarding hematological parameters and vitamin D levels.Methods: We included 78 females with female pattern hair loss and 50 healthy subjects in the control group. We collected a detailed medical history and performed a systematic clinical examination. Blood samples were collected including complete blood count, serum ferritin, and vitamin D.Results: A significant increase in positive family history and acne among the study than the control group. Most patients had mild disease (55.1%). Female pattern hair loss was significantly associated with a reduction in red blood cell count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean cell volume, mean cell hemoglobin, mean cell hemoglobin concentration, red cell distribution width, serum ferritin and serum vitamin D. Among the patient’s group, the disease severity was positively correlated with disease duration and patient age. The correlation with duration was moderate (r=0.366). The disease duration was positively correlated with body mass index and negatively correlated with red blood cell count, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, red cell indices, ferritin and vitamin D. Disease duration was also inversely correlated with vitamin D levels.Conclusions: Family history, body mass index, acne, hirsutism and irregular period were high among Saudi women. The disease was moderately severe. FPHL was associated with a significant reduction in hematological parameters and lower serum ferritin that indicated iron deficiency could play a crucial role in the development or progression of the disease. As a preventable etiology, restoring iron stores may provide at least an adjunct therapeutic option.

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Changes in Nutrient Biomarkers, Body Composition, and Burnout Symptoms in Collegiate Athletes across a Season

10.20944/preprints202105.0602.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tamara Hew-Butler ◽

Carrie Aprik ◽

Brigid Byrd ◽

Kristin Landis-Piwowar ◽

Valerie Smith-Hale ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

Body Composition ◽

Body Fat ◽

Serum Ferritin ◽

Lean Mass ◽

Serum Vitamin ◽

Collegiate Athletes ◽

Vitamin D Levels ◽

Athlete Burnout ◽

25 Oh Vitamin D

Adequate serum vitamin D and iron levels are thought to positively influence physical training adaptations and mood. The purpose of this prospective, observational, study was to investigate relationships between serum 25-OH vitamin D and serum ferritin levels with body composition and athlete burnout symptoms. Seventy-three collegiate athletes (49 female) from 7 indoor and outdoor sports were tested pre-season and post-season for: nutrient biomarkers (serum 25-OH vitamin D and serum ferritin) via venipuncture; body composition (total lean mass, bone mineral densi-ty/BMD, and % body fat) via dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans; and athlete burnout symptoms (post-season) via the athlete burnout questionnaire (ABQ). When male and female co-horts were combined, significant relationships were noted between pre-season serum 25-OH vit-amin D versus the change (∆: post-season minus pre-season) in both BMD (r=-0.34;p=0.0003) and % body fat (r=-0.28;p=0.015). Serum ferritin ∆ was significantly associated with lean mass ∆ (r=-0.34;p=0.003). For burnout symptoms, serum 25-OH vitamin D ∆ significantly explained 20.6% of the variance for devaluation of sport in the male cohort only. Across time, serum 25-OH vitamin D levels increased while serum ferritin levels decreased, non-significantly, in both males and fe-males. Relationships between nutrient biomarkers and body composition were opposite of physio-logical expectations.

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Evaluation of serum ferritin, vitamin B12 and vitamin D levels as biochemical markers of chronic telogen effluvium in women

International Journal of Research in Dermatology ◽

10.18203/issn.2455-4529.intjresdermatol20211700 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 407

Author(s):

V. A. Belgaumkar ◽

R. B. Chavan ◽

N. S. Deshmukh ◽

P. Patil ◽

N. Bhatt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

Vitamin B12 ◽

Serum Ferritin ◽

Hair Loss ◽

Biochemical Markers ◽

Past History ◽

Ferritin Level ◽

Nutritional Deficiencies ◽

Normal Range ◽

Vitamin D Levels

Background: Diffuse hair loss is a common complaint encountered by dermatologists in clinical practice and can be alarming to the patients. Chronic telogen effluvium (CTE) is characterized by an abrupt onset of diffuse loss of scalp hair persisting for more than six months, predominantly affecting healthy women in their fourth to fifth decade of life. Although CTE is considered to be associated with various nutritional deficiencies, currently the evidence to substantiate this assertion is conflicting.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 adult non-pregnant women with CTE to document serum ferritin, B12 and vitamin D levels in an attempt to validate their role as biochemical markers using Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 25:0 and Fisher’s exact test.Results: Mean ferritin level was 31.17 ng/dL. 23% patients had serum ferritin levels lower than the normal range (13-150 ng/dL). Vitamin D levels (normal range 5.2-60.4 ng/ml, mean 21.41 ng/ml) were low (deficiency range) in 2%. Vitamin B12 levels (normal range 191-663 pg/ml, mean 239.79) were low in 35.7% patients. Other parameters like duration, family history, past history of treatment did not demonstrate any statistically significant correlation.Conclusions: Our study detected low levels of serum ferritin and vitamin B12 in approximately one-fourth and a third of females with chronic telogen effluvium respectively with vitamin D deficiency found in only a small proportion. Although a statistically significant correlation could not be established between these nutrients and participant age or other parameters; we concur with most authors who recommend that all females with diffuse hair loss deserve a thorough screening for nutritional deficiencies to facilitate prompt recognition and timely supplementation.

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