EPICARDIAL FAT THICKNESS INCREASE IN PATIENTS WITH SEBORRHEIC DERMATITIS AS A CLINICAL BIOMARKER OF CARDIO-METABOLIC RISK

Background
Seborrheic dermatitis (SD) can be associated with cardiometabolic conditions. This study aimed to evaluate epicardial fat thickness (EFT), a marker of cardiometabolic disease, in SD patients.

Material and methods
In this cross-sectional and observational study, 90 patients with SD and 50 age- and sex-matched control subjects were evaluated for echocardiographic EFT and metabolic profile data.

Results
Systolic blood pressure, heart rate, high sensitive C-reactive protein, monocyte count and EFT were found to be significantly higher in the SD group (53 female; mean age, 39.3±13.3 years) compared to the control group (34 female; mean age, 39.9±13.4 years). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the EFT and heart rate were found to be independently associated with SD. Additionally, in the multivariate linear regression analysis including the parameters correlated with EFT and the parameters associated with EFT at the p<0.001 level in univariate analysis; BMI (β: 0.341, p<0.001) and SD disease duration (β: 0.435, p<0.001), as well as seborrheic dermatitis area and severity index (β: 0.177, p=0.037) were found to be independently associated with EFT.

Conclusions
EFT is increased in patients with SD and was also found to be independently associated with SD. Prolonged and severe SD may be a dermatological sign regarding cardiometabolic disease.