Chronic diseases among vitiligo patients: A case control study

OBJECTIVES: To identify the proportion and risk of chronic diseases in vitiligo patients in a tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). METHODS: A retrospective case-control study included 61 vitiligo patients and 61 normal non-dermatology controls in King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, KSA between January and September 2016. Age, gender and co-morbid diseases including hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity and hypothyroidism were retrieved from participants’ charts and medical records. Proportion and mean were used to describe the variables, and odds ratio (OR) was used to test the data. RESULTS: A total of 122 participants (34 males, 88 females) equally divided in cases and controls. The mean age was 45±19 years for the case and 40±17 years for the control group. The proportion of diabetes (51%) was higher in the case group than the control (33%) (OR: 0.47; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.23-0.98; p=0.04). Dyslipidemia was significantly associated with vitiligo (67%) compared with the control group (48%) (OR: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.21-0.92; p=0.03). Vitiligo participants had a significantly increased risk of having hypothyroidism (26%) compared with the control group (10%) (OR: 0.31; 95% CI: 0.11-0.85; p=0.02). CONCLUSION: There is an increased risk of chronic diseases among vitiligo patients including diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypothyroidism, renal injuries, and obesity.