Prevalence of Acanthosis Nigricans in a Population Attending a Tertiary Care Centre in Western India and it’s Utility to Detect Metabolic Syndrome

Authors

  • Jaydipkumar Tank Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, GMERS Medical College, Junagadh, India
  • Darshan Karia Department of Dermatology, BJ Medical college, Ahmedabad, India
  • Bela Shah Professor and Head, Department of Dermatology BJ Medical College, Ahmedabad, India
  • Radha Dhudshia Senior Resident, Department of Dermatology, GMERS Medical College, Junagadh, Gujrat, India

Keywords:

metabolic syndrome, Acanthosis Nigricans, body mass index, insulin.

Abstract

Background: Acanthosis Nigricans (AN) is a dermatosis with thickened, hyperpigmented plaques immediately recognizable. The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a collection of metabolic risk factors that include central obesity, glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia, low HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, and high blood pressure. The skin biomarker AN is linked to this syndrome.Aims and Objectives: To study the prevalence of AN and associated factors in patients that predicts the risk of MetS.Materials and Methods: Five hundred and forty-seven patients with AN were studied over a period of two years. Complete dermatological assessment of skin, including distribution and grading of AN, was performed. Evaluation for metabolic syndrome, including body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumference, waist-hip ratio (WHR), blood pressure, was noted. Laboratory investigations like fasting blood sugar (FBS), post prandial blood sugar (PPBS), fasting insulin, lipid profile, serum B12, and thyroid function test were done in all patients of AN. Results: Prevalence of AN was 6.5%. The majority had an age between 11-20 years (32.9%). Benign acquired AN (70.7%) was the commonest type of AN, while syndromic AN (17.9%) was the second most common type. Patients of AN with MetS were older (28.4±11.7 years; p=0.0184), had BMI more than 30 (31.5±4.6; P<0.001), higher waist circumference (100.6±10.9 cm; P<0.001), higher WHR (0.92±0.05; P=0.0242), higher FBS (102.3±21.6; P<0.001) and PPBS (130.9±39.1; P<0.001) and higher fasting insulin level (25.7±13.7; P<0.001) compared to those without MetS. Linear regression revealed that BMI (R2=0.08334, P=0.0004 for patients of AN without MetS and R2=0.06377, P<0.001 for patients of AN with MetS), waist circumference (R2=0.05999, P=0.003 for patients of AN without MetS and R2=0.07336, P<0.001 for patients of AN with MetS) and WHR (R2=0.03603, P=0.0222 for patients of AN without MetS and R2=0.008235, P=0.0764 for patients of AN with MetS) has a much more significant effect on insulin in the patients of AN with MetS.Conclusion: AN was common in our study population and the presence of AN strongly predicts metabolic syndrome.

Downloads

Published

2022-01-17

How to Cite

Jaydipkumar Tank, Darshan Karia, Bela Shah, & Radha Dhudshia. (2022). Prevalence of Acanthosis Nigricans in a Population Attending a Tertiary Care Centre in Western India and it’s Utility to Detect Metabolic Syndrome. International Journal of Health and Clinical Research, 5(2), 126–129. Retrieved from https://ijhcr.com/index.php/ijhcr/article/view/4061