Hidradenitis Suppurativa Linked to Increased CVD Risk

Patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) are at increased risk of developing adverse cardiovascular (CV) events, including myocardial infarction (MI), ischemic stroke, and cardiovascular-related mortality, according to a recent study.

Previous research has linked HS to risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the risk of CVD in patients with HS is less well understood.

To further investigate, researchers conducted a population-based cohort study of 5964 patients with HS and 29,404 controls.

Overall, 62 events of MI, 74 ischemic strokes, 63 CVD-related deaths, 169 major adverse CV events (MACE), and 231 all-cause mortalities occurred during follow-up.

Adjusted incidence rate ratios were:

• 1.57 (1.14-2.17) for MI
• 1.33 (1.01-1.76) for ischemic stroke
• 1.95 (1.42-2.67) for CV-associated death
• 1.53 (1.27-1.86) for MACEs
• 1.35 (1.15-1.59) for all-cause mortality

In a sensitivity analysis comparing HS-related risk to patients with severe psoriasis, the risk of CVD-related mortality remained high, but the risk of MI and ischemic stroke were not significantly higher in those with HS compared to those with psoriasis.

“Hidradenitis suppurativa was associated with a significantly increased risk of adverse CV outcomes and all-cause mortality independent of measured confounders,” they concluded.

“The risk of CV-associated death was higher in patients with HS compared with the risk in those with severe psoriasis. The results call for increased awareness of this association and for studies of its clinical consequences.”

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Egeberg A, Gislason GH, Hansen PR. Risk of major adverse cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa. Jama Dermatology. 2016 February [epub ahead of print]. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2015.6264.