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Lower socioeconomic status associated with hidradenitis suppurativa

Patients with hidradenitis suppurativa had a lower socioeconomic status compared with the general population, according to results of a study recently published in Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Researchers in the Netherlands conducted a multicenter study by collecting data from 1,018 patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS; 71.7% female; mean age, 38.7 years) and 2,039 age- and sex-matched dermatologic patients (71.8% female; mean age, 38.9 years) as controls. Mean household income and neighborhood real estate values were used to determine socioeconomic status.

In the HS cohort, 46.4% had low socioeconomic status, 39% had medium socioeconomic status and 14.6% with a high socioeconomic status, compared with 39%, 40% and 30%, respectively, in the general Dutch population. Patients with HS had a significantly lower socioeconomic status compared with the controls (P < .001).

Among patients with HS, axillary involvement (OR = 1.42; 95% CI, 1.03-1.99), high BMI (OR = 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.06) and older age at inclusion (OR = 0.98; 95% CI, 95% CI, 0.97-0.99) were associated with a low socioeconomic status, but disease severity, age of disease onset and smoking status were not.

“This study shows that patients with HS have significantly lower [socioeconomic status] than the general Dutch population and other dermatologic patients,” the researchers concluded. “No association was observed between [socioeconomic status] and disease severity and age of onset. Therefore, low [socioeconomic status] may be an independent risk factor for HS.”  – by Bruce Thiel

Disclosure: Deckers reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for other researchers’ relevant financial disclosures.