Researchers at Gangnam Severance Hospital have found that patients who have hyperhidrosis have an increased risk of having cardiovascular diseases.

The research team, led by

From left, Professors Lee Sung-soo, Moon Duk-hwan, Lee Jee-won, and Park Jae-min

at the hospital, concluded so after analyzing the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with hyperhidrosis using the data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service.

In the study, the team compared 18,613 people diagnosed with hyperhidrosis since 2010 and 18,613 without hyperhidrosis. An average of 7.7 years of follow-up revealed that the hyperhidrosis group had 571 cardiovascular diseases, while the control group had 462 cases.

Statistical analysis such as multivariate analysis showed that patients with hyperhidrosis had a 1.24 times higher risk of suffering from stroke, 1.16 times higher risk of ischemic heart disease, and 1.22 times higher risk of developing other heart diseases.

After correcting confounding variables -- age, gender, diabetes, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders – the team discovered that hyperhidrosis increased the risk of strokes by 1.28 times, ischemic heart disease by 1.17 times, and other heart diseases by 1.24 times.

If patients with hyperhidrosis received sympathectomy, however, their risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease was similar to that of the general public.

Sympathectomy lowered the risk of stroke from 1.36 times to 0.44 times, ischemic heart disease from 1.24 to 0.62 times, and combined heart disease decreased from 1.31 to 0.56 times.

“Hypersympathetic nerves increase the risk of cardiovascular disease as hyperhidrosis patients often have sympathetic nerve hyperactivity and autonomic nervous system disorders,” Professor Lee Jee-won said. “The study revealed that controlling sympathetic hyper sympathetic nerves through sympathectomy can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease as well as hyperhidrosis.”

Professor Lee Sung-soo also said, “It is important to note that hyperhidrosis can be a sign of an abnormality in the body. The symptoms come with discomfort, but the health problem is not so severe that symptoms are not treated properly.”

Recently, there are a variety of treatments, such as drugs, procedures, surgery, and surgery, which can treat hyperhidrosis without large incision, he added.

The results of the research were published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Copyright © KBR Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution prohibited