Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40869239›Full record

SynthesisInternational journal of molecular sciences2025

Comparative Effect of Conventional and Non-Conventional Over-the-Counter Treatments for Male Androgenetic Alopecia: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Aditya K Gupta, Mesbah Talukder, Sharon Keene, Greg Williams, Mary A Bamimore

Abstract readComparative StudyNetwork Meta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in International journal of molecular sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Aditya K GuptaDivision of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H2, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-8664-7723
Mesbah TalukderMediprobe Research Inc., London, ON N5X 2P1, Canada.
Sharon KeenePhysician's Hair Institute, Tucson, AZ 85712, USA.
Greg WilliamsFarjo Hair Institute, London W1G 7LH, UK.
Mary A BamimoreMediprobe Research Inc., London, ON N5X 2P1, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The expanding literature on nutraceuticals for male androgenetic alopecia (AGA) has inadvertently created knowledge gaps on the relative efficacy of conventional and non-conventional over-the-counter (OTC) treatments. We conducted a Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA); the outcome measure was the 24-week change in total hair density (INPLASY202570087). We determined the relative efficacy of nine active comparators-including topical minoxidil 5% and 2%. Among the topical OTC agents used to manage male AGA, minoxidil 5% applied twice daily was the most effective.

Indexed as

AlopeciaNonprescription DrugsBayes TheoremHumansMaleMinoxidilTreatment OutcomeMinoxidilNonprescription Drugsconventional and non-conventional treatmentsmale androgenetic alopeciamale-pattern hair lossminoxidilnetwork meta-analysisover-the-counter productspathophysiology

Identifiers

PMID40869239
PMCPMC12386765

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.