Semaglutide for diabetes, weight loss, and… Hidradenitis Suppurativa?

April 28, 2025

Authors:

Camryn Schroeder, Research Fellow at Dell Medical School at University of Texas, Austin, Division of Dermatology
Natalie M. Fragoso, MD, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Department of Dermatology

Why Was This Research Done?

Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist, is an injectable medication used to treat obesity and diabetes. These conditions are commonly seen in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Semaglutide may also help decrease inflammation which may improve symptoms of HS. This study looked at how semaglutide may affect HS activity.

How Was This Research Done?

This study looked at the medical records of 45 patients with HS who were taking semaglutide for weight loss. Two measurements that researchers studied were body mass index (BMI) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). BMI estimates body fat by comparing a patient’s weight to their height and can be used to diagnose obesity. HbA1c is a blood test that measures the patient’s average blood sugar level over 2-3 months and can be used to diagnose diabetes. Patients’ BMI and HbA1c were collected before starting semaglutide and again after 6 and 12 months of using semaglutide. Researchers also compared patients whose HS symptoms got better while on semaglutide to patients whose HS symptoms stayed the same or got worse.

What Did The Study Find?

1. Most patients lost weight while on semaglutide.
2. HS symptoms improved in more than half of patients taking semaglutide. Higher doses of semaglutide were associated with improvement of HS symptoms.
3. Patient age, sex, weight, BMI, or HbA1c level did not affect if HS symptoms got better on semaglutide.
4. Patients with HS can also have health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), anxiety, depression, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The presence of these health problems did not affect which patients had fewer HS symptoms on semaglutide.
5. Male patients and patients who smoke appeared to improve more on semaglutide than female and nonsmoking patients. However, these results were not statistically significant.

What Is The Impact Of These Results?

This study suggests that in addition to helping control diabetes and contribute to weight loss, semaglutide at higher doses may help improve HS symptoms. Semaglutide may be more helpful for HS symptoms in men or patients who smoke. Since this study is a chart review as opposed to a clinical trial, it is difficult to apply these results to all patients with HS taking semaglutide. Ultimately, more studies are needed to look at how semaglutide can help manage HS specifically.

Paper citation: Posada Posada MI, Alora MB, Lima XTV. Impact of semaglutide use in obese and diabetic patients with hidradenitis suppurativa. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2024 Oct 19. doi: 10.1111/jdv.20392. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39425524.