Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Aug 12;14(8):e085862.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-085862.

Epidemiology and health care of hyperhidrosis in Germany: claims data analysis

Kristina Hagenström  1 , Katharina Müller  2 , Frenz Ohm  2 , Matthias Augustin  2
Affiliations

Epidemiology and health care of hyperhidrosis in Germany: claims data analysis

Kristina Hagenström et al. BMJ Open. .

Abstract

Background and objectives: Data on the population-based epidemiology of hyperhidrosis (HH) are scarce. This study investigated the epidemiology and healthcare of HH in Germany.

Design and setting: Claims data of adult persons insured by a German statutory health insurance (DAK-Gesundheit) between 2016 and 2020 were analysed. Included were persons aged 18 years and older with a diagnosis of HH (confirmed inpatient or outpatient diagnosis in the observation year) who were continuously insured. Following outcomes were measured: prevalence and incidence rates, severity of hyperhidrosis and inpatient and outpatient care by a group of specialists.

Results: In 2020, 0.70% of insured adults were confirmed to have HH (mean age 59.5 years, SD 18.9, 61.6% female), with 9.24% having a 'localised' form, 8.65% a 'generalised' form and 84.80% an 'unspecified' form. 0.04% of the total population had a severe form. The incidence was 0.35%. Localised HH was more common in younger age groups (18 to <30 years), while older age groups (70 to <80 years) were significantly more likely to suffer from generalised HH. Systemic anticholinergics were used in 4.55%, and botulinum toxin injection therapy in 0.81%. General practitioners were most frequently involved in care. Inpatient stays due to HH were very rare, with 0.14% in 2019 and 0.04% in 2020.

Conclusion: Multisource data analysis connecting primary and secondary data will be needed for a complete picture of the healthcare and epidemiology of HH.

Keywords: Dermatological epidemiology; Health Services; Quality in health care.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Standardised prevalence of localised hyperhidrosis (R61.0) (top) and of generalised hyperhidrosis (R61.1) (down) by age and gender in 2020 (per 100 000). ICD, International Statistical Classification.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Annual prevalence rate of hyperhidrosis by federal state in 2020 in percentage.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Proportion of attended physicians four quarters after the initial quarter with the incident hyperhidrosis (1-year follow-up, including initial quarter) diagnosis in 2019 (all forms, (R61)). ICD, International Statistical Classification.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Distribution of hospitalisations of persons with hyperhidrosis by hospital specialty department in 2016 and 2020.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Walling HW. Clinical differentiation of primary from secondary hyperhidrosis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2011;64:690–5. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2010.03.013. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Weber A, Heger S, Sinkgraven R, et al. Psychosocial aspects of patients with focal hyperhidrosis. Marked reduction of social phobia, anxiety and depression and increased quality of life after treatment with botulinum toxin A. Br J Dermatol. 2005;152:342–5. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2004.06334.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Henning MAS, Barati F, Jemec GBE. Quality of life in individuals with primary hyperhidrosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Auton Res. 2023;33:519–28. doi: 10.1007/s10286-023-00954-w. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Gabes M, Donhauser T, Kann G, et al. Burden of disease: assessing quality-of-life impacts in hyperhidrosis. Br J Dermatol. 2023;188:143–5. doi: 10.1093/bjd/ljac010. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Augustin M, Radtke MA, Herberger K, et al. Prevalence and disease burden of hyperhidrosis in the adult population. Dermatology . 2013;227:10–3. doi: 10.1159/000351292. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

Substances

LinkOut - more resources