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Hidradenitis suppurativa linked to higher frequency of subclinical atherosclerosis

Patients with hidradenitis suppurativa had a higher frequency of subclinical atherosclerosis, and researchers recommended the condition be classified as carrying an increased cardiovascular risk, according to data published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Marcos A. González-López, MD, PhD, from the division of dermatology at the Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Instituto de Investigación Marqués de Valdecilla and University of Cantabria, Santander in Cantabria, Spain, and colleagues evaluated 68 patients with hidradenitis suppurativa and 136 age-and gender-matched control patients. They measured carotid intima-media thickness and carotid plaques using carotid ultrasonography, with adjustments for age, gender and traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

Patients with hidradenitis suppurativa had greater carotid intima-media thickness values (0.615 ± 0.097 mm) compared with the control group (0.578 ± 0.098 mm; P = .012) and more frequent carotid plaques (30.9%) compared with the control group (22.1%). There was a significant association between hidradenitis suppurativa and presence of carotid plaques (OR = 2.99; 95% CI, 1.26 – 7.13) according to a multivariable regression model accounting for adjustments in age, gender and traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

The researchers noted that although they found an increased frequency of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa, they were unable to explain the causality. One possible explanation was an increased prevalence of traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors, like smoking and obesity, in these patients, the researchers wrote.

“However, in our study the difference in [carotid intima-media thickness] between the patients with [hidradenitis suppurativa] and control subjects remained significant after adjusting for these potential confounding risk factors. This suggests that [hidradenitis suppurativa] itself, like other chronic inflammatory diseases, may be an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis, regardless of the presence of classic [cardiovascular disease] risk factors,” González-López and colleagues wrote. “In this sense, the strong correlation between the disease duration of [hidradenitis suppurativa] and [carotid intima-media thickness] detected in this study may suggest that a persistent chronic inflammation linked to [hidradenitis suppurativa] may be of major importance to explain the accelerated atherogenesis.” – by Jeff Craven

Disclosure: González-López reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the study for other researchers' relevant financial disclosures.