Supplementary Material for: Prevalence and Characteristics of Hyperhidrosis in Sweden: A Cross-Sectional Study in the General Population

<i>Background:</i> Hyperhidrosis is defined as excessive sweating which can be primary or secondary. Data about the prevalence of primary hyperhidrosis are scarce for northern Europe. <i>Objective:</i> Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of hyperhidrosis focusing on its primary form and describe the quality of life impairments for the affected individuals. <i>Methods:</i> Five thousand random individuals aged 18-60 years in Sweden were investigated. The individuals' addresses were obtained from Statens personadressregister, SPAR, which includes all persons who are registered as resident in Sweden. A validated questionnaire regarding hyperhidrosis including the Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale (HDSS) and 36-item Short Form (SF-36) health survey was sent to each individual. The participants were asked to return the coded questionnaire within 1 week. <i>Results:</i> A total of 1,353 individuals (564 male, 747 female and 42 with unspecified gender) with a mean age of 43.1 ± 11.2 years responded. The prevalence of primary hyperhidrosis was 5.5%, and severe primary hyperhidrosis (HDSS 3-4 points) occurred in 1.4%. Secondary hyperhidrosis was observed in 14.8% of the participants. Our SF-36 results showed that secondary hyperhidrosis causes a significant (p &lt; 0.001) impairment of both mental and physical abilities while primary hyperhidrosis impairs primarily the mental health (p &lt; 0.001). <i>Conclusion:</i> Hyperhidrosis affects individuals in adolescence as a focal form while occurring as a generalised form with increasing age. Further, the prevalence of primary hyperhidrosis described in our study is comparable to other studies from the western hemisphere. While secondary, generalised hyperhidrosis impairs both physical and mental aspects of life, primary hyperhidrosis, with the exception of severe cases, mainly affects the mental health.

<i>背景：</i>多汗症（Hyperhidrosis）定义为过度出汗，可分为原发性与继发性两类。北欧地区关于原发性多汗症患病率的相关数据较为匮乏。<i>目的：</i>本研究旨在探究多汗症的患病率，重点关注原发性多汗症，并描述患者的生活质量受损情况。<i>方法：</i>本研究纳入瑞典5000名年龄18~60岁的随机个体进行调查。研究对象的住址信息来自瑞典国家个人地址登记库（Statens personadressregister, SPAR），该库涵盖所有在瑞典登记居住的人口。研究人员向每位受试者发放经效度验证的多汗症相关问卷，该问卷包含多汗症疾病严重程度量表（Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale, HDSS）以及36条目简明健康调查量表（36-item Short Form, SF-36）。要求受试者于1周内回传该编码问卷。<i>结果：</i>最终共有1353名个体完成问卷回复，其中男性564人、女性747人，性别未明确者42人，平均年龄为43.1±11.2岁。原发性多汗症的患病率为5.5%，重度原发性多汗症（HDSS评分3~4分）的患病率为1.4%；继发性多汗症的患病率为14.8%。本研究的SF-36量表结果显示，继发性多汗症会对受试者的心理与生理功能均造成显著损害（p<0.001），而原发性多汗症则主要损害心理健康（p<0.001）。<i>结论：</i>多汗症在青少年时期多表现为局灶性，随年龄增长则逐渐发展为全身性多汗症。此外，本研究报道的原发性多汗症患病率与西半球其他相关研究结果基本一致。继发性全身性多汗症会同时损害生活的生理与心理层面，而原发性多汗症（重度病例除外）则主要影响心理健康。