The Role of Vitamin D and Testosterone Levels with Hair Loss among Females with Coronavirus Disease

Abstract Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that has been found to affect various body systems, leading to unpredicted symptoms such as hair loss. Objective: This study investigates the potential relationship between hair loss and hormonal factors, specifically testosterone and Vit-D, in female COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional case‐control study involving 100 participants, including 50 female COVID-19 cases experiencing hair loss after infection and healthy volunteers without post-COVID-19 hair loss. Blood samples were taken to determine testosterone and Vit-D3 measures. Anthropometric variables including age and Body Mass Index, and hematological tests, were also evaluated. Statistical analyses, including receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, were performed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of testosterone and Vit-D. Results: The study exposed COVID-19 females with hair loss exhibited raised serum testosterone measures ( P = 0.001) and reduced Vit-D values ( P = 0.001) compared to controls. Significant correlations were observed between testosterone and Vit-D levels ( r = 0.317, P = 0.001), as well as between testosterone and age ( r = 0.219, P = 0.027). ROC analysis demonstrated a good predictive value of testosterone for hair loss (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.888) compared to Vit-D (AUC = 0.262). Conclusion: The results emphasize the importance of considering nutritional and hormonal aspects to understand the mechanisms underlying COVID-19-associated hair loss.