Chronic skin disorder risk reduces over smoke-free years
UC expert featured in MedCentral article
The University of Cincinnati's Robert Van Haren was featured in a MedCentral article discussing recent research that found smoking cessation significantly reduced the risk of developing hidradenitis suppurativa, a non-contagious chronic inflammatory skin disorder characterized by painful nodules, abscesses and scarring.
"This study demonstrates another important health benefit of smoking cessation," Van Haren, MD, associate professor in UC's College of Medicine and a UC Health physician, and Ella Kuhr, a physician assistant in the College of Medicine, said. "Smoking cessation improves cardiovascular health and reduces the risk of cancer, and this study shows that quitting smoking can help improve skin conditions like hidradenitis suppurativa."
Van Haren and Kuhr said cigarette smoke contains many harmful chemicals that can trigger our bodies to produce inflammatory signals, which in some cases can lead to hidradenitis suppurativa.
"It is important for doctors to take the time to talk to their patients about the benefits of smoking cessation and support them in quitting smoking," they continued. "Smoking cessation is challenging but there are strategies to help patients quit smoking such as medications and nicotine replacement such as patches and gum. There are also specialists that are certified in smoking cessation and resources such as your state tobacco quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW) for free coaching and support."
Featured image at top of cigarette and ashtray. Photo/iStock/Kotlyarchuk.
Related Stories
Sugar overload killing hearts
November 10, 2025
Two in five people will be told they have diabetes during their lifetime. And people who have diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart disease. One of the deadliest dangers? Diabetic cardiomyopathy. But groundbreaking University of Cincinnati research hopes to stop and even reverse the damage before it’s too late.
Is going nuclear the solution to Ohio’s energy costs?
November 10, 2025
The Ohio Capital Journal recently reported that as energy prices continue to climb, economists are weighing the benefits of going nuclear to curb costs. The publication dove into a Scioto Analysis survey of 18 economists to weigh the pros and cons of nuclear energy. One economist featured was Iryna Topolyan, PhD, professor of economics at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business.
App turns smartwatch into detector of structural heart disease
November 10, 2025
An app that uses an AI model to read a single-lead ECG from a smartwatch can detect structural heart disease, researchers reported at the 2025 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association. Although the technology requires further validation, researchers said it could help improve the identification of patients with heart failure, valvular conditions and left ventricular hypertrophy before they become symptomatic, which could improve the prognosis for people with these conditions.