Eczema Free Forever™ Eczema Free Forever™

Smokers twice as likely to develop debilitating skin disease

Tobacco smokers are twice as likely to develop a debilitating skin disease, according to new research published in the British Journal of Dermatology this week.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic and recurring inflammatory disease of the hair follicles, which causes a mixture of boil-like lumps, areas leaking pus, and scarring. It is estimated to affect around one per cent of the population, and it is difficult to predict the severity of individual cases and how they will respond to treatment.

The study was a retrospective cohort analysis, meaning that a database of medical records is examined to spot trends in a population’s health. The database that the researchers used has data on the health of over 50 million people in the United States, though for this study only patients with an active status in the database over the last three years who had race, gender, and age information, as well as at least one measurement for BMI with the study period were included. Patients who had already been diagnosed with HS before the start of the study were also excluded, as were patients who started smoking after they were diagnosed with HS.

Using this information the researchers were able to split the cohort into smokers and non-smokers and calculate the incidence of HS among both groups, taking into account other factors that influence HS incidence, such as age, gender, race, and obesity.

Of the 3,924,310 tobacco smokers, there were 7,860 patients diagnosed with HS during the study period, this compares to 8,430 cases of HS among 8,027,790 non-smokers. This equals an overall incidence among smokers of 0.20 per cent compared to 0.11 per cent among non-smokers.

Overall incidence was highest amongst the following smoking sub-groups: those aged 30-39 years (0.35 per cent); women (0.28 per cent); African Americans (0.46 per cent), and those with a BMI greater than, or equal to, 30 (0.33 per cent), qualifying them as obese.

Although the exact mechanisms linking tobacco smoking to HS are not understood, it has been speculated that nicotine has a role in triggering the disease.

Senior author, Dr Amit Garg, said: “This is the first population level evidence that tobacco smoking is a true risk factor for the development of Hidradenitis suppurativa. What is not yet understood is whether cessation of smoking can lead to improvement in disease activity.”

Matthew Gass of the British Association of Dermatologists said: “Hidradenitis suppurativa is a recurrent and painful disease, which can have an enormous physical and psychological impact on people, as such it is very important that medical professionals and patients understand the potential causes of this condition.

“This study also builds on the existing evidence base regarding the impact of smoking on skin health. There is already evidence that it is one of the biggest factors in skin ageing, and that it can increase the chances of acne scarring.”

Content supplied by BAD

talkhealth Blog

Dairy free, nut free, wheat free tapas, twice in one week!

This is a really quick blog with some delicious pictures of food that I’ve eaten recently at Tres Corazones tapas restaurant in Wendover.

I went with a group of friends for a Christmas dinner and then treated myself to lunch this week because it’s so quick, tasty and safe for people with allergies.

They cook everything fresh from scratch when you order which means they can easily adapt dishes to suit those with coeliac disease or allergies. The food I ordered was dairy free, wheat free, nut free, tomato free and celery free.

The starters…

I love olives but these were particularly tasty and the anchovies in vinegar were so delicate and moreish. One of my favourite dishes of the evening and naturally dairy and wheat free.

Manzanilla Olives and Boquerones which were anchovies

Manzanilla Olives and Boquerones which were anchovies marinated in vinegar

The resaurant made these specially for me slightly differently to the normal ones on the menu. Deliciously crunchy with sea salt crust, we voted these better than the option from the main menu!

Padron Peppers done specially for me with sea salt

Padron Peppers done specially for me with sea salt

And then the mains…

I was particularly looking forward to these baby squid and again, the restaurant were amazing and made these specially for me. The others had these from the main menu with a crumb coating and after trying both, they all agreed these were far superiour! Sometimes it’s good to be the allergic diner – I do love a bit of food envy 🙂

Chipirones (baby squid) con ali oli griddles a la plancha

Chipirones (baby squid) con ali oli griddled a la plancha

One of my favourite meals is roasted vegetables and I was able to order these straight from the menu, just minus the tomatoes, which I’m allergic to. Really tasty and just so fresh and simple. I’ve never roasted asparagus before but they were delicious.

Verdura a la plancha: courgette, aubergine, peppers, asparagus, mushrooms

Verdura a la plancha: courgette, aubergine, peppers, asparagus, mushrooms

My all time favourite dish at any tapas resraurant is the Spanish omelette. Again I could order this one straight from the menu and we could all share the same dish. We had quite a few of these between us. Really delicious and perfectly cooked.

Tortilla Espanola - potato and onion Spanish omelette

Tortilla Espanola – potato and onion Spanish omelette

We were so full we had no room for pudding! Not sure the puddings would have been suitable so I always just gorge on the starters and mains. A top night out and so safe and easy for me.

And finally, that sneaky lunch…

I had all this myself, Spanish omelette, garlic mushrooms and some more of those delicious anchovies. Mmmmmm…

Spinach omelette, garlic mushrooms and vinegar marinated achovies

Spinach omelette, garlic mushrooms and vinegar marinated achovies

This place is now my new favourite restaurant. Who wants to come with me next time?

talkhealth Blog

Psoriasis Patients Twice As Likely To Develop Diabetes

AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota Editor’s Choice
Main Category: Eczema / Psoriasis
Also Included In: Diabetes;??Dermatology
Article Date: 16 Oct 2012 – 13:00 PST Current ratings for:
Psoriasis Patients Twice As Likely To Develop Diabetes
3 and a half starsnot yet rated
http://www.eczemablog.net/


A new meta-analysis of 27 studies shows a clear link between people with psoriasis and diabetes.


The study, led by UC Davis researchers, was published online in Archives of Dermatology, and found a strong association between the dry skin rash and blood sugar disorder.


Psoriasis is widespread skin condition that runs in families. It is characterized by red, raised, flaky and often itchy, rash, and is found mostly on the knees and elbows, but can appear anywhere. Doctors believe it is an autoimmune disease; the body thinks of the skin as foreign and therefore gives off an inflammatory response. Earlier studies have hinted that psoriasis could be a risk factor for diabetes.


April Armstrong, assistant professor of dermatology at UC Davis and lead investigator of this study, and her team examined 27 studies of patients with psoriasis. Five of these studies looked at how many of the patients developed diabetes during the period of study, 10 to 22 years. The remainder of the studies assessed the incidence of diabetes at the commencement of the study. In total, they examined over 314,000 people with psoriasis and compared them with 3.7 million people without the disease (a control group).


The collection of data for these studies shows that patients with mild psoriasis are more than 1.5 times more likely to develop diabetes than the general public, while those suffering from severe psoriasis are twice as likely.


Studies that assessed prevalence found patients with psoriasis had a 27 percent elevated risk of getting diabetes, compared with the general public.


All but one study found a link between psoriasis and diabetes. These trials contained data from outpatient clinics, insurance claims, and hospitals. The rate of diabetes was the same regardless of patients’ ethnicities or countries. Armstrong explains:


“The large sample size and consistent association between psoriasis and diabetes make these study findings very strong and suggest an underlying physiological link between the two diseases.”

The authors admit that additional research is needed to interpret how the two diseases are intertwined. Armstrong suggests changed immune pathways may be responsible for making psoriasis patients more vulnerable to diabetes.

She goes on to say:


“There is evidence that fat cells in psoriasis patients may not function normally. These cells secrete inflammatory substances known as cytokines that increase insulin resistance in the liver and muscle and initiate destruction of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.”

More research can also verify other possible limiting factors that are seen in the current study; a factor that could be confusing, like concurrent medications used to treat psoriasis that may change the risk of developing diabetes.


It has been known that blood pressure is harder to control in patients with psoriasis and also that psoriasis patients suffer higher instances of heart attack, strokes, and cardiovascular-related deaths. In order to provide the best and earliest care, it is imperative for physicians to be aware of these predispositions.


Armstrong and her team plan to study endothelial cells, cells that line the blood vessels, in order to interpret the unseen physiological basis of psoriasis. They will soon create a network to share clinical data on patients with psoriasis.


Written by Kelly Fitzgerald
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Visit our eczema / psoriasis section for the latest news on this subject. “Psoriasis and the Risk of Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis”
April W. Armstrong, MD, MPH; Caitlin T. Harskamp, BA; Ehrin J. Armstrong, MD, MSc
Archives of Dermatology, October 2012, doi:10.1001/2013.jamadermatol.406 Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

Fitzgerald, Kelly. “Psoriasis Patients Twice As Likely To Develop Diabetes.” Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 16 Oct. 2012. Web.
7 Apr. 2013. APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.


‘Psoriasis Patients Twice As Likely To Develop Diabetes’

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.


If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.


All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)


Contact Our News Editors


For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:


Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.



View the original article here


Eczema Blog