Seborrheic Dermatitis associated with Insulin Resistance: Study

Our knowledge of the systemic effects of seborrheic dermatitis (SD) as a chronic inflammatory skin disease remains limited.

A team of researchers aimed to evaluate metabolic syndrome (MS) and glucose metabolism disorders in patients with seborrheic dermatitis (SD).

The study includes 53 patients over the age of 18 diagnosed with seborrheic dermatitis (SD) and 50 age-, gender-, and body mass index-matched healthy controls. Demographic data, anthropometric measurements, blood pressure levels, family history of seborrheic dermatitis (SD) and metabolic disorder, smoking history, and severity of the disease in seborrheic dermatitis (SD) patients were obtained. Fasting plasma glucose, insulin, haemoglobin A1c, lipid profile levels, and two-hour plasma glucose in the oral glucose tolerance test homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, and presence of MS was determined.

The results of the study are as follows:

• Weight, waist circumference, family history of seborrheic dermatitis (SD), family history of metabolic disorder, and smoking status were significantly higher in seborrheic dermatitis (SD) group compared with the control group. The levels of fasting plasma insulin and triglyceride, HOMA-IR and OGTT 2-h PG were also significantly higher in seborrheic dermatitis (SD) group than in the control group
• In addition, the number of those with insulin resistance was significantly higher in the group with seborrheic dermatitis (SD) than in the control group
• Although the rate of MS was higher in patients with seborrheic dermatitis (SD) than in the controls, the difference was not significant.

Thus, the researcher concluded that findings suggest an association between SD and insulin resistance, which may be due to their common inflammatory pathogenesis. This may be an indicator of susceptibility to diabetes, and these patients can be followed up for conditions associated with insulin resistance and encouraged to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Reference:

Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndrome in Patients with Seborrheic Dermatitis: A Case–Control Study by Sevil Savaş Erdoğan et al. published in the Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders.

https://doi.org/10.1089/met.2021.0063