Semaglutide Beneficial for Hidradenitis Suppurativa in Patients With Obesity

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 25, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with obesity, the addition of semaglutide to standard hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) treatments yields improvement in quality of life and a reduction in flares, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, held from Sept. 25 to 28 in Amsterdam.

Daniel Lyons, M.D., from St. Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin, and colleagues reported the impact of semaglutide on disease control and quality of life among 30 patients with obesity (27 female and three male) from an HS clinic.

All of the patients were prescribed concomitant HS treatments. The researchers found that the mean duration of semaglutide treatment was 8.2 months and the mean dose was 0.8 mg once weekly. There was a decrease seen in mean body mass index, from 43.1 to 41.5 kg/m². In addition, the mean weight decreased from 117.7 to 111.6 kg. Overall, 33.33 percent of the patients lost ≥10 kg during the study period. The mean frequency of patient-reported flares decreased from once every 8.5 weeks to once every 12 weeks following commencement of semaglutide, with a reduction in the mean Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) from 13/30 to 9/30. A DLQI reduction of 4 points or more, equal to or surpassing the minimal clinically important difference, occurred in one-third of patients. There was also a significant reduction in hemoglobin A1c (from 39.3 to 36.6).

"We hope our preliminary data will encourage dermatologists to consider weight loss medication as an adjunct to existing HS treatments," Lyons said in a statement.

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