We found an association between HS and diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, obesity, hypertension and metabolic syndrome among a large community-based cohort of patients with HS. Clinicians should take into account that patients with HS may have one or more undiagnosed components of metabolic syndrome despite their young age. Thus, appropriate targeted screening is advised.

Physicians may need to consider offering an HZ preventive vaccine to patients receiving combination treatment with biologic medications and methotrexate, particularly if they have additional risk factors for HZ.

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Drug survival has recently become an important clinical issue in psoriasis. However, there has been little research into factors associated with drug survival of methotrexate and acitretin. The aim of this study was to investigate factors associated with drug survival of methotrexate and acitretin treatment for psoriasis. Survival analysis was performed in patients who received methotrexate or acitretin for the treatment of psoriasis, drawn from the Clalit Health Services database. Investigated factors included demographic variables, obesity, metabolic syndrome, psoriatic arthritis, administration route and folic acid supplementation. Among 6,256 patients, factors associated with treatment drop-out were: younger age (p <0.001) and psoriatic arthritis (acitretin p < 0.001). For methotrexate, metabolic syndrome (p = 0.033), intramuscular administration route of injection (p <0.001) and lack of folic acid supplementation (p <0.001) were associated with treatment drop-out. In patients with psoriasis, some ancillary factors may modify the drug survival of acitretin and methotrexate.

Background Data regarding the association between atopic dermatitis (AD) and the metabolic syndrome are controversial. Objective To evaluate the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its components in a large group of patients with AD compared to a matched reference group. Methods A cross‐sectional study of AD patients diagnosed by a dermatologist between 1998 and 2016, and a matched comparison group was performed. We analysed the association between AD and metabolic syndrome, its components and possible complications for the entire study population, adults (age > 18) and adults with moderate‐to‐severe AD. Results The study included 116 816 patients with AD and 116 812 comparison enrollees. AD in the entire group of patients and in the adult patients was associated with a higher prevalence of dyslipidaemia and a lower prevalence of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Moderate and severe AD were associated, respectively, with higher prevalence rates of the metabolic syndrome (17.0% vs. 9.4%), its components (obesity: 22.2% vs. 18.6%; diabetes: 15.9% vs. 9.2%; hypertension 27.9% vs. 15.3%; dyslipidaemia 47.1% vs. 28.5%, all P values < 0.001) and cardiovascular morbidity (all P values < 0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated a significant overrepresentation of the metabolic syndrome in moderate‐to‐severe AD (P = 0.04). Conclusions Severely affected patients with AD may have one or more undiagnosed components of metabolic syndrome.

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In our database, the risk of HZ was significantly increased with age, treatment with steroids, and combination of anti-TNF-α agents and c-DMARDs, but not with c-DMARDs or anti-TNF-α therapy alone. Time to HZ event was shorter in patients treated with anti -TNF-α agents.

Background Emerging evidence suggests that chronic urticaria (CU) is associated with chronic, low-grade, inflammatory process.Objective To evaluate the association between CU and metabolic syndrome and its components in a large community-based medical database.Methods A cross-sectional study of CU patients and matched controls was performed. CU was defined as eight urticaria diagnoses (with each two diagnoses registered within a period of 6 weeks) from 2002 to 2012. Data regarding the prevalence of metabolic syndrome, its components and possible complications were collected. ResultsThe study included 11 261 patients with CU and 67 216 controls. In a univariate analysis, CU was significantly associated with higher body mass index (BMI) and a higher prevalence of obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, chronic renal failure and gout. Multivariate analysis demonstrated a significant association between CU and metabolic syndrome (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.1-1.2, P < 0.001) and its componentsobesity (OR = 1.2, 95% CI 1.1-1.3, P < 0.001), diabetes (OR = 1.08, 95% CI 1.01-1.15, P = 0.001), hyperlipidaemia (OR = 1.2, 95% CI 1.1-1.2, P < 0.001) and hypertension (OR = 1.1, 95% CI 1.1-1.2, P < 0.001).Conclusions CU patients may have one or more undiagnosed components of metabolic syndrome despite their young age. Thus, appropriate targeted screening is advised.