Is Tobacco or Marijuana Use Associated With Increased Risk of HS?

Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, life-altering inflammatory skin condition without a cure. Numerous treatment options are available. Use of tobacco products and marijuana has been shown to increase inflammation. Researchers have postulated that the use of these products may increase inflammation and thus cause flaring of HS or increase one's odds of developing HS. Objective: To assess the association between HS and tobacco/cannabis use to help counsel patients about potential modifiable risk factors. Design/Methods: Retrospective review conducted using the TriNetX database to identify adults aged =18 years who used tobacco only or cannabis only. Healthy controls who did not use tobacco or marijuana were used for comparison. Results: Data of >2 million individuals were analyzed. Individuals who smoked cigarettes had a higher risk of having HS. Individuals who only used chewing tobacco or used marijuana did not show an elevated risk. Females who smoked tobacco more...