Men genetically predisposed to hair loss face a 7% higher chance of losing hair when taking obesity drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic, according to a new study.
Obesity Drugs Tied to 7% Higher Risk of Male-Pattern Hair Loss
According to the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, a research team led by Professor Lynn Petukhova at New York University Grossman School of Medicine reported on the 3rd that hair loss occurring after use of obesity drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic may stem from genetic factors.
The main active ingredients in Wegovy and Ozempic are semaglutide analogs, which act as GLP-1 receptor agonists. GLP-1 is a hormone secreted by the intestine after meals that promotes a feeling of fullness and lowers blood sugar. GLP-1 analogs act in the body in the same way as GLP-1 itself.
Rather than administering obesity drugs directly to study subjects, the team identified people who were genetically in the same state as if they had taken the drugs and compared them with others.
GLP-1 and its analogs are hormones that carry signals between organs, and they work only by binding to receptors on each organ. Receptors correspond one-to-one with hormones, meaning GLP-1 binds only to the GLP-1 receptor.
The team singled out people whose GLP1R gene — the gene that produces the GLP-1 receptor — is naturally more active. These people have more GLP-1 receptors in their bodies than the general population, so they respond more sensitively and feel full more easily even when the same amount of GLP-1 is secreted. In effect, they have been on Wegovy since birth.
"Hair Loss Risk Must Be Weighed" — Screening Before Prescription Possible
The team drew on large public datasets, including a genetic information database of 31,684 people (eQTLGen) and another of 205,327 people (Complex Traits Genetics). From these, it extracted data on men who had developed androgenetic alopecia, a form of hereditary hair loss that typically progresses across the front and top of the scalp.
Comparing rates of androgenetic alopecia between groups with high and low GLP1R gene activity, the team found the probability of hair loss was 7% higher in the group with more active genes. The researchers interpreted the finding to mean that taking GLP-1 analog drugs also raises the likelihood of developing androgenetic alopecia.
The team said further research is needed, however, to determine the biological mechanism by which GLP-1 analog drugs weaken hair follicle growth.
"If future experiments confirm these results, it appears that some men, and by extension women as well, could be screened for hair loss risk and have that risk assessed before being prescribed GLP-1 drugs," Petukhova said. "Based on these findings, one could also consider co-prescribing preventive hair loss treatments such as minoxidil or other drugs to some GLP-1 users."
The link between obesity drugs and hair loss has been documented in other research as well. A study by a University of Pennsylvania medical school team, published recently in The BMJ, found that patients with type 2 diabetes using GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic faced hair loss risks 37% and 68% higher than users of other diabetes treatments, SGLT-2 and DPP-4 inhibitors, respectively. Actual diagnosis rates were low, at three to nine cases per 1,000 people annually, and the researchers pointed to telogen effluvium — in which rapid weight loss pushes hair into a resting phase — as the likely cause.
