Prevalence and Characteristics of Hidradenitis Suppurativa in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 Study: A Cross-sectional Study of 2,775 Subjects

• Published in: Acta Dermato-Venereologica
• Main Authors: SINIKUMPU, Suvi-PÄIVIKKI, JOKELAINEN, Jari, HUILAJA, Laura
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Medical Journals Sweden, on behalf of the Society for Publication of Acta Dermato-Venereologica 2024
• Subjects: Original Report; Northern Finland
• Online Access: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10795692/; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/38197699; https://doi.org/10.2340/actadv.v104.14732

A negative stigmatization related to hidradenitis suppurativa may prevent patients from seeking care. Thus, a large proportion of patients with hidradenitis suppurativa may be missing from studies based on hospital data. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and characteristics of hidradenitis suppurativa among 2,775 subjects in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 Study (NFBC1986), who were in their mid-thirties. The prevalence of hidradenitis suppurativa was 4.0% (n = 110/2,775), being higher in females (4.8%) than in males (2.5%) (p < 0.01). Of those defined as having hidradenitis suppurativa in this study, only 4 cases (n = 4/110, 3.6%) were found to have a hidradenitis suppurativa diagnosis either in the hospital (Care Register for Health Care) or in the primary healthcare data. In an adjusted model in logistic regression analyses, hidradenitis suppurativa was significantly associated with obesity (body mass index 30–55 kg/m(2)) (odds ratio 3.81, 95% confidence interval 2.80–5.22), female sex (1.99, 1.53–2.61) and smoking (1.56, 1.21–2.00). In addition, there was an association between hidradenitis suppurativa and self-reported poor overall health status. Hidradenitis suppurativa seems to be common at the population level and only a minority of these patients seek care for the condition. SIGNIFICANCE Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic inflammatory disease of hair follicles, characterized by painful oozing lesions. Due to negative stigmatization of the disease, patients with hidradenitis suppurativa do not easily seek help from physicians. This study examined the prevalence and characteristics of hidradenitis suppurativa in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 Study (n = 2,775). The study found that hidradenitis suppurativa affected 4.0% of the population. Only 4 cases of the study population were found to have diagnosis of hidradenitis suppurativa, either in hospital or in primary healthcare data. Hidradenitis suppurativa was associated with severe obesity, female sex, smoking and ...