Ozempic May Improve This Chronic Skin Condition Here's why semaglutide medications might help with HS and other treatment options that experts recommend
A new study shows semaglutide medications, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, may be effective in treating hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) in individuals with obesity
- A new study shows semaglutide medications, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, may be effective in treating hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) in individuals with obesity.
- Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that causes painful lumps, abscesses, and scars, mainly in areas where skin folds, like the underarms and groin.
- Experts recommend that individuals with HS consult with their healthcare provider or dermatologist to discuss treatment options, including topical and oral antibiotics, hormonal treatments, and lifestyle changes.
Semaglutide medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy can help with weight management and blood sugar regulation, but a new study suggests they may also be effective for treating a common skin condition associated with obesity.
Hidradenitis suppurativa is a long-lasting inflammatory skin condition that affects up to 2% of the U.S. population. It’s characterized by painful bumps, abscesses, skin tunnels, and thick scars that mainly appear in areas where the skin rubs together, like the underarms and groin.
The study, which has not been peer reviewed and was presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress 2024, is the first to explore the use of semaglutide for treating HS, the researchers noted in a press release.
“Our findings suggest that semaglutide, even at modest doses, can offer substantial benefits in managing HS,” Daniel Lyons, MD, lead researcher from St. Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, said in the release. “While the drug’s role in promoting weight loss is well-established, what’s particularly exciting is its potential to also reduce the frequency of HS flare-ups.”
However, larger randomized controlled trials are necessary to validate the findings, Lyons added.
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A Closer Look at the Research
For the study, Lyons and his colleagues looked at 30 patients with hidradenitis suppurativa and obesity, a significant risk factor for HS. The average age was 42, and 27 participants were women.
The participants received a semaglutide injection weekly at an average dose of 0.8 milligrams (mg) for about 8.2 months.
The researchers tracked changes in several areas, including body mass index (BMI), weight, how often HS flare-ups occurred, biochemical markers like glucose and hemoglobin A1C, pain levels before and after starting the medication, and quality of life (using a measurement called the Dermatology Life Quality Index [DLQI]).
“People with severe HS often require frequent unscheduled urgent visits to the healthcare system due to flare-ups, and the condition can severely affect their ability to attend school or work consistently," Raed Alhusayen, MBBS, MSc, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto and associate scientist at Sunnybrook Research Institute, told Health. “The disease significantly impacts a person’s quality of life."
Analysis of the data, conducted between June 2020 and March 2023, showed patients had fewer HS flare-ups after they began taking semaglutide. The frequency of episodes reduced from an average of once every 8.5 weeks to once every 12 weeks. Quality of life also appeared to improve as indicated by average DLQI scores.
In addition, the average BMI decreased from 43.1 to 41.5, and the average weight dropped from about 259 pounds to 246 pounds, with a third of patients losing 22 pounds or more during treatment. Hemoglobin A1c levels went from 39.3 to 36.6, indicating better blood sugar control.
While the findings are promising, some limitations should be considered, Alhusayen said.
In addition to not yet being peer-reviewed, the study also did not have a control group, making it hard to determine whether the improvements seen in patients were due to the medication or just natural fluctuations in their condition. “In clinical trials, approximately 30% of HS patients in placebo groups show some level of improvement, so having a control group is essential for determining the true effect of the medication,” he said.
Jennifer Gordon, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Westlake Dermatology in Austin, Texas, told Health that additional research is necessary, and that it should explore different medication doses and focus on various levels of HS severity.
Why Might Semaglutide Help With HS?
Semaglutide medications like Ozempic and Wegovy may help manage HS primarily by promoting weight loss, Alhusayen said. Because obesity is a major risk factor for HS, losing weight can reduce skin friction and systemic inflammation, improving HS symptoms.
“Other weight loss interventions, such as bariatric surgery, have also been shown to help manage HS, suggesting that the weight loss itself plays a significant role in treating HS,” Alhusayen said.
GLP-1 medications can also influence HS in other ways, Gordon added. “It is not surprising that these medications may help with HS just from a weight loss perspective,” she said. “However, the metabolic changes that GLP-1 medications make may also play a role in HS lesion development and severity.”
Medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy wouldn’t be the first to have benefits for HS despite having an alternative primary purpose.
“For example, doxycycline, a tetracycline antibiotic, is used off-label to treat HS for its anti-inflammatory effects rather than its antibacterial properties,” Alhusayen said. “Similarly, metformin, a diabetes medication, is used off-label for HS and polycystic ovarian syndrome due to its antiandrogenic properties.”
HS Treatment Options
Although there are FDA-approved topical and oral antibiotics available to treat HS, Gordon said it’s worth discussing with a dermatologist whether semaglutide medications might improve your condition. However, your provider may not be comfortable prescribing the drug for that purpose.
“Because the research is not available yet, we likely won’t be able to comment on it until a phase 3 study is performed, and also, for that reason, these medications will not be FDA-approved for HS for a while,” Gordon said.
But if you have other health issues that semaglutide can treat, Gordon noted it's possible that the drug could address those conditions while potentially reducing symptoms of HS. It “may help on multiple levels,” she said.
This story originally appeared on: Health News - Author:Alyssa Hui
