Comparison of cutaneous manifestations in diabetic and nondiabetic obese patients: A prospective, controlled study

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Obesity is known to be a risk factor for many diseases including dermatological problems. Here, we aimedto determine the cutaneous manifestations in obese patients and the frequency of the accompanying dermatoses and toinvestigate the effect of diabetes mellitus in obese patients on cutaneous manifestations compared with the control group.METHODS: Our study included a total of 600 adults: 450 obese volunteers and 150 healthy volunteers. The number of diabeticobese patients was 138 (30%), whereas that of nondiabetic obese patients was 312 (70%). A detailed dermatologicalexamination was performed for each case, and accompanying dermatoses were compared.RESULTS: The mean body mass index (BMI) in the obese patients and control group was 37.22 kg/m2 and 22.23 kg/m2,respectively. The most common dermatoses in the obese patients were, according to their frequency: striae distensae (291patients, 64.7%), acrochordon (236 patients, 52.4%), acanthosis nigricans (213 patients, 47.3%), plantar hyperkeratosis(209 patients, 46.4%), and venous insufficiency (202 patients, 44.9%). Although hirsutism was more frequently observedin the nondiabetic obese group than in the diabetic obese group, stasis dermatitis was less frequently observed (p