Table 1.

Summary of the studies included and their quality assessment^a.

Source	Location	No. of AGA Patients	No. of Controls	Patient’s AGA degreeb	Age (years) of cases and controls	Outcomes	BMI-matched studies	Selection	Comparability	Exposure or Outcome	Risk of bias
Gonzalez-Gonzalez et al.9	Mexico, single institution	80	80	≥III	25.64 [2.68] 26.49 [3.08]	FBG, insulin, HOMA-index, total-C, HDL-C, LDL-C, triglycerides, free testosterone, SHBG	+	****	**	***	Low
Mumcuoglu et al.10	Turkey, single institution	50	40	≥III	24.32 [2.68] 23.42 [3.0]	FBG, insulin, HOMA-index, FIRI, total-C, HDL-C, LDL-C, triglycerides	+	***	**	***	Low
Narad et al.19	India, single institution	50	50	≥III	<30 <30	FBG, Insulin, LH, FSH, LH/FSH ratio, total testosterone, FAI, DHEAS, SHBG	−	****	*	***	Low
Sharma et al.20	India, single institution	100	100	≥III	28.61 (3.03) 28.45 (3.11)	Blood pressure, FBG, total-C, HDL-C, LDL-C, VLDL, triglycerides, BMI, WC, WHR	−	****	*	***	Low
Chakrabarty et al.21	India, single institution	85	85	≥I	26.44 [2.64] 25.65 [3.19]	Blood pressure, FBS, HOMA-index, total-C, HDL-C, LDL-C, VLDL, triglycerides, BMI	−	***	*	***	Moderate
Banger et al.22	India, single institution	100	100	≥I	27.03 [5.36] 26.22 [5.1]	Blood pressure, FBG, total-C, HDL-C, LDL-C, triglycerides, BMI, WC, WHR, CRP, ESR	−	****	*	***	Low
Sanke et al.23	India, single institution	57	32	≥III	24.7 [2.8] 24.2 [2.6]	FBS, insulin, HOMA-index, BMI, LH, FSH, LH/FSH ratio, total testosterone, FAI, DHEAS, SHBG,	−	****	*	***	Low

Abbreviations: AGA = androgenetic alopecia; BMI = body mass index; CRP = C-reactive protein; DHEAS = dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate; ESR = erythrocyte sedimentation rate; FAI = free androgen index; FBS = fasting blood sugar; FIRI = fasting insulin resistance index; HDL-C = HDL cholesterol; LDL-C = LDL cholesterol; SHBG = sex hormone binding globulin; total-C = total cholesterol; VLDL = very low-density lipoproteins; WC = waist circumference; WHR = waist to hip ratio. Values in square brackets represents the standard deviation, whereas those in round brackets represents the mean difference.

^aThe quality assessment of individual studies was based on the Ottawa–Newcastle scale⁵². Possible scores are 0 to 4 asterisks for selection, 0 to 2 for comparability, 0 to 3 for exposure or outcome. One asterisk indicates the lowest score, 4 asterisks the highest score. Studies with a score < 5 were considered to have high risk of bias, between 5 and 7 moderate risk, > 7 low risk of bias.

^bThe degree of androgenetic alopecia was evaluated though the Hamilton-Norwood Scale^{50, 51}.