GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Tied to Increased Risk for Alopecia

TUESDAY, Aug. 4, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are associated with an increased risk for alopecia in adults with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online July 22 in The BMJ.

Huilin Tang, Ph.D., from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues examined the association between GLP-1 receptor agonists and the risk for incident alopecia in adults with type 2 diabetes. The analysis included 12,004 GLP-1 receptor agonist initiators versus 15,221 sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor initiators, as well as 11,964 GLP-1 receptor agonist initiators versus 11,238 dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor initiators.

The researchers found that use of GLP-1 receptor agonists was associated with a higher risk for alopecia than use of SGLT-2 inhibitors (hazard ratio [HR], 1.37) or DPP-4 inhibitors (HR, 1.68). Associations persisted across sensitivity and subgroup analyses, with attenuation after negative control outcome calibration. The association was specific to nonscarring alopecia (SGLT-2 inhibitors: HR, 1.53; DPP-4 inhibitors: HR, 1.72).

“Use of GLP-1 receptor agonists was associated with an increased risk of nonscarring alopecia in adults with type 2 diabetes,” the authors write. “Although the absolute risk is low, awareness of this potential effect may help to inform treatment decisions.”

Abstract/Full Text