New York, Sept. 5 -- Weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound may be linked to a higher risk of male pattern hair loss, with men already genetically predisposed to the condition facing a 7 per cent added risk, according to a new study led by researchers at NYU Langone Health.

Published online on September 3 in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, the peer-reviewed study is the first to identify a genetic link between GLP-1 activity and an increased risk of androgenetic alopecia, an inherited form of hair loss that typically follows a pattern along the top and front of the scalp.

The researchers examined the GLP1R gene, which naturally influences levels of GLP-1 receptor proteins in the body, and compared its activity ...