Hidradenitis Suppurativa and Major Adverse Cardiac Events: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the link between hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) such as myocardial infarction (MI), cerebrovascular accident (CVA), and cardiovascular-associated mortality (CAM). The analysis included eight studies and found that patients with HS had a significantly increased risk of MI and CVA, with cohort studies showing a relative risk of 1.22 for CVA and case-control studies indicating an odds ratio of 1.72 for CVA. There were mixed findings regarding MI in case-control studies, and one study showed an increased risk of CAM in HS patients (RR 1.95). The authors suggest that the increased risk of MACEs in HS patients may be due to chronic systemic inflammation and recommend that these patients be informed about their elevated cardiac risk, undergo early screening, and receive counseling on modifiable risk factors, as well as appropriate cardiac evaluations if symptoms arise.