Associations between Primary Hyperhidrosis and Psychiatric Conditions: A Matched Case-Control Study of 8,508 Patients

Area of Science:

• Medical research
• Psychiatry
• Dermatology

Background:

• Primary hyperhidrosis (PHH) is excessive sweating unrelated to other conditions.
• PHH is linked to psychiatric issues, but the sequence of these conditions is unclear.
• Preceding psychiatric conditions in PHH patients require further characterization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between primary hyperhidrosis (PHH) and psychiatric conditions diagnosed before PHH.
• To determine if specific psychiatric disorders precede the diagnosis of PHH.

Main Methods:

• A matched case-control study design was employed.
• Data from 1,418 PHH participants and 7,090 controls were analyzed from the All of Us Research Program.
• Multivariable logistic regression and Benjamini-Hochberg correction were used to assess associations.

Main Results:

• PHH patients had significantly higher odds of prior diagnoses for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (OR: 1.97) and restless legs syndrome (RLS) (OR: 1.63).
• Increased odds were also observed for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (OR: 1.35) and insomnia (OR: 1.22) in PHH individuals.
• All associations remained statistically significant after correction for multiple testing.

Conclusions:

• Significant associations exist between prior diagnoses of OCD, RLS, ADHD, and insomnia and subsequent PHH diagnosis.
• Further research is warranted to explore the etiological relationship between these psychiatric conditions and PHH.
• These findings may inform clinical approaches to patients with PHH and comorbid psychiatric conditions.