Female patients with frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) are significantly more likely to have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), according to a recent study, which also found that patients with lichen planopilaris (LPP) (including classic LPP [CLPP] and the FFA subtype) are less likely to have diabetes. Furthermore, patients with CLPP, excluding FFA, are less likely to have hypertension, heart disease, and hypothyroidism. The medical records of 206 LPP patients and 323 control patients were retrospectively reviewed for existing comorbidities. The control group consisted of 257 patients with androgenetic alopecia and 66 patients with actinic keratosis. Researchers found:

• SLE was found in 4.37% of all patients with LPP (including CLPP and the FFA subtype) and in 0.31% of controls.
• Female patients with the FFA subtype were more likely to have SLE than controls.