Hair loss is a sensitive problem, and some cases are almost untreated, such as a disease vixen, but researchers seem to have recognized the common denominator between the painful condition rheumatoid arthritis and alopecia areata, but what do these totally unconnected things have in common? One causes joint pain and swelling, and the other leads to a dramatic and patchy loss of hair.
According to the scientists, both are the result of underlying repercussions and an autoimmune disorder. In both cases, the immune system decided that the body’s cells posed a threat. In alopecia, this causes the immune system to attack the hair follicles, while in arthritis, it attacks the tissues in the joints..
A new study published in Science Alert A late-stage clinical trial has shown that treatments for these two conditions can also be similar, using an arthritis drug called baricitinib to effectively treat alopecia areata in a third of patients..
Yale University dermatologists write that alopecia areata is a crazy, chaotic, disorienting and deeply sad journey for many who suffer from it..”
The trials were randomized, not fully controlled, making it the gold standard for analyzing how baricitinib works for people with severe alopecia..
But there were also severe side effects for all patients, with researchers reporting a range of symptoms in the test groups compared to controls, including acne, upper respiratory infections, headaches, urinary tract infections, and high cholesterol levels..