A Study to Assess the Association of Acanthosis Nigricans with Metabolic Syndrome and Its Individual Parameters: A Case-Control Descriptive Study from Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: Acanthosis nigricans (AN) is characterised by hyperpigmented, dark, rough, velvety plaques, typically on the intertriginous areas and neck. AN could be a marker of underlying metabolic syndrome (MetS). Various parameters of MetS include hypertension, hyperglycemia, low high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, high waist circumference (WC) and hypertriglyceridemia. Aim: To determine the association between the acanthosis nigricans and parameters of metabolic syndrome. Material & Methods: This study was a descriptive case-control study conducted over a period of 1 year. Fifty-five patients of AN and 55 age and sex matched controls were included to asses the association between AN and MetS parameters. Results: Out of 55 cases of AN evaluated, 45.5% had MetS of which 58.2% were males and 41.8% females. Among the cases, 76.36% had increased WC, 36.36% had hypertension, 45.45% had elevated triglycerides, 63.63% had decreased HDL and 27.27% had increased fasting blood sugar levels. The Association of AN and MetS was found to be highly significant in the study population (p<0.001). Conclusion: Our study concluded that AN patients had elevated individual components of MetS. Hence, presence of AN could be a marker of underlying MetS. Primary healthcare workers in resource poor settings should be trained to identify AN, and to asses for individual components of MetS so that, early diagnosis can be made and treatment should be started.