Acrochordons as a cutaneous sign of metabolic syndrome: a case-control study.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Case-control study
PubMed 24761238 · doi:10.4103/2141-9248.129040
What was done
A case-control study compared 110 patients with two or more acrochordons to 110 age- and gender-matched controls. Investigators recorded skin tag localization, size, and total count, and measured body mass index, waist circumference, smoking status, fasting plasma glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, serum lipids, liver enzymes, and arterial blood pressure in both groups.
What was found
Diabetes mellitus was diagnosed in 58 of 110 patients with acrochordons compared to 12 of 110 controls, which was statistically significant. Impaired glucose tolerance was found in 16 of 110 patients (15%) and 9 of 110 controls (8%), a non-significant difference. Mean levels of fasting plasma glucose, body mass index, insulin resistance, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly higher in patients than controls, while high-density lipoprotein levels were lower. Exact numerical means, standard deviations, and p-values for laboratory and blood pressure values were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
The presence of multiple skin tags during routine examination may indicate an increased likelihood of metabolic syndrome and prompt clinical screening for dyslipidemia and glucose intolerance.
Limits
The case-control design cannot establish causality or temporal relationships. The abstract omits exact numerical values, effect sizes, and p-values for most metabolic and lipid parameters. Findings may be subject to selection bias and unmeasured confounding.
Cited by
- supports Brown skin tags in areas such as armpits and the neck are early signs of insulin resistance.