New Insights in Hidradenitis Suppurativa from a Population-based Dutch Cohort: Prevalence, Smoking Behaviour, Socioeconomic Status and Comorbidities

INTRODUCTION: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, auto-inflammatory skin condition and is associated with several comorbidities. Previous studies report variable prevalence rates of HS, depending on the methodology, however the exact prevalence remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of HS in a large population-based cohort in the Northern Netherlands, and to compare HS patients to the general population, investigate characteristics and identify potential associated comorbidities. METHODS: Data was collected through a cross-sectional survey-based study within the Lifelines Cohort Study (n=167,729), based on the general population located in the Northern Netherlands. A digital self-reported questionnaire was developed consisting of validated questions for determining HS. RESULTS: Among 56,084 respondents, the overall prevalence of HS was 2.1% [95% CI 2.0 to 2.2]. The respondents with HS had a lower socioeconomic status than the controls (p<0.001) and were more frequently current smokers (p