Dry air and shedding

I have been wondering if the low humidity in my house is contributing to the amount of shedding I see from Mabel, my 12-year-old ragdoll. She is in stage 1 kidney failure, so I am careful about her health, but lately the fur on the couch is just unbearable. I recently turned on a humidifier in the living room, and I swear the shedding has slowed down a bit. I am curious if anyone else has noticed this effect. I also have Ollie, my 8-year-old tabby who is diabetic, but he is not shedding nearly as much as Mabel does.

Interesting theory. I run a dehumidifier in my apartment because it gets damp in the winter, and my 7-year-old persian mix, Pumpkin, definitely has drier skin. I saw this thread about dry skin a while back and thought it was just age, but maybe the air is a factor. I will have to try adding moisture back in and see if his coat looks less brittle.

I am hesitant to change the humidity levels because my 2-year-old british shorthair, Milo, has some alopecia patches that we are monitoring. I read about distinguishing normal shedding from medical issues and my vet said to keep the environment stable until we know what is causing the hair loss. I am worried that changing the air moisture might confound the results of whatever treatment we are trying.

In my barn, the air is naturally variable depending on the season. My 6-year-old dsh, River, who goes outside, sheds a ton in spring, but my 3-year-old tabby, Kettle, who stays inside, sheds more consistently. I do not use a humidifier, just windows open when it is not freezing. I am not sure if the air is the main driver or just the temperature changes.

Thank you all for the input. I think I will stick with the humidifier for now since Mabel seems to be handling it well. I have posted an update in this follow-up thread with more details on how the coat is looking after two weeks.