Weight Gain Over Time in Hidradenitis Suppurativa Patients: Trends and Implications

Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is often seen in overweight and obese patients. However, little is documented about weight gain over time in HS patients. Methods: From August 2009 to March 2018, all patients in the UCLA HS clinic were asked at initial examination about their weight gain since high school. Results: A cohort of 143 HS patients were found to have a significant mean BMI increase of 4.7 (25.5 to 30.2, p<0.0001) from high school until time of presentation (approximately a 15-year interval). Of the patients with ≥10 point BMI increase, 85.2% were women. 59.6% of women were normal weight in high school with an average BMI of 24.8 (SD 6.41, range 14-50) and 78.7% were overweight or obese at time of HS clinic intake. Hispanic HS patients were found to have more weight gain than other ethnic groups, (p=0.09) which may be clinically significant. Conclusions: Although many HS patients were normal weight or mildly overweight in high school, most become obese in early adulthood. Since obesity is thought to increase HS severity, weight management should be stressed in HS patients early on before weight gain occurs.