Smoking Cessation and Hidradenitis Suppurativa: Advances and Treatment Gaps

August 21, 2024

This plain-language research summary was generated by AI, courtesy of HS Simplified.

AI Generated Content Verified By: Alexandra Charrow, M.D. | Mass General Brigham

Smoking Cessation and Hidradenitis Suppurativa: Advances and Treatment Gaps

A 2024 study reveals smokers are more likely to develop hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a painful skin condition, but quitting could reduce this risk. Despite a strong link, the exact cause remains unclear, highlighting the need for further research into smoking cessation as a preventive measure.

Does Quitting Smoking Help Prevent Hidradenitis Suppurativa?

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a long-term skin disease that causes painful lumps and bumps, usually in places where skin rubs together, like the armpits or groin. Doctors have noticed that people who smoke cigarettes are more likely to get HS, but it hasn’t always been clear if smoking actually causes HS, or if quitting smoking can help prevent it.

What Did the Researchers Study?

Dr. Kim and colleagues wanted to find out if quitting smoking lowers the chance of getting HS. They looked at the health records of almost 2 million people in South Korea, following them for up to 14 years. They compared people who always smoked, people who never smoked, and people who quit smoking before they got HS.

What Did They Discover?

The experimenters found that people who quit smoking before getting HS had a much lower risk of developing the disease compared to people who kept smoking. In fact, after about 4 years, people who quit smoking had the same low risk as those who never smoked at all.

On the other hand, people who just started smoking did not see an increased risk right away. It took about 3 years of smoking before their chances of getting HS went up to the same level as people who always smoked. This shows that the bad effects of smoking on HS may take some time to appear.

Why Does Smoking Affect HS?

Cigarettes contain chemicals like nicotine (an addictive drug), dioxins, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons that can harm the skin and immune system. These chemicals may cause the skin to grow too fast or make it easier for bacteria (like Staphylococcus aureus) to grow, which can cause or worsen HS.

Are There Any Limitations?

There are a few important things to keep in mind about this study. Most of the people studied were men, because in South Korea, women are less likely to report smoking (sometimes because of social stigma). The study only looked at cigarette smoking—not vaping or other forms of tobacco, which are common in other countries. Also, the study didn’t show if quitting smoking helps people who already have HS feel better or have fewer flare-ups.

What’s Still Unknown?

There still isn’t much proof about whether quitting smoking helps people who already have HS get better. Some small studies suggest that people who don’t smoke may respond better to treatment, but we need more research. It’s also not clear if switching from cigarettes to vaping helps with HS, since bigger studies haven’t been done yet.

The Bottom Line

This study by Dr. Kim and colleagues shows that quitting smoking can help prevent HS, especially if you quit before the disease starts. However, we don’t know for sure if quitting helps people who already have HS. Doctors still recommend quitting smoking for overall health, and it might also lower your risk for HS. More studies are needed—especially in different countries, with more women, and looking at other forms of tobacco—to know exactly how smoking and quitting affect people with HS.

Author(s)

Alexandra Charrow, Leandra A Barnes

Read Original Paper

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/article-abstract/2822714