Dermal Manifestations Among Obese and Normal Individuals Visiting Dermatology OPD of Tertiary Care Hospital–Analytical Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Obesityis considered one of the major healthproblems inthe world and acts as a risk factor for many diseases, including dermatological problems. Research on skin diseases affecting obese patients is scarce.Aims: Here, we aimed to determine the dermal manifestations in obese patients compared with the controls.Methods: The present cross-sectional study was carried for 12 months from December 2019 to 2020 on 200 adults who were divided into two groups; the study group(100) and the control group (100). A detailed clinical examination was done, including weight, height, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, waist circumference, and demographic data. A thorough dermatological examination was also done, and all the information was recorded in a proforma and was analyzed using the coGuide, considering p value <0.05 as significant.Results: The mean BMI in the obese patients and the control group was 34.64±4.37 kg/m2 and 22.23±1.3 kg/m, respectively. The mean difference of age between the study group(43.07±8.35) and the control group (42.02±11.89) was statistically not significant (p value 0.471). The difference in skin manifestations like acanthosis nigricans,acrochordons, keratosis pilaris, plantar hyperkeratosis, striae distensae, bacterial folliculitis, etc., was found to be a significant p value of <0.005 for the obese group than the control group.Conclusion: The findings of the present study suggested a high prevalence of dermal manifestations in the obese group than controls.