Overview
- The study at the IPN’s Escuela Superior de Medicina, led by Dr. Ismael Vásquez Moctezuma, reports preliminary evidence that central obesity in women may increase the likelihood of vitiligo.
- Investigators describe metabolic disruption and low-grade “metainflammation” associated with abdominal fat as mechanisms that could activate immune responses that destroy melanocytes.
- The project, initially aimed at testing mesenchymal stem cells for repigmentation, was redirected after clinicians observed an obesity–vitiligo association in patients treated by Dra. Martha Morales Sánchez at the Centro Dermatológico Dr. Ladislao de la Pascua.
- Clinical care is incorporating cognitive-behavioral therapy and emotional regulation techniques, as low self-esteem, stress, and anxiety are reported to worsen autoimmunity and speed disease progression.
- Next steps include engaging nutrition specialists for prevention, developing an AI photo-based tool for earlier detection, and submitting a forthcoming paper detailing statistical analyses of patient weight, disease course, lesion patterns, and female prevalence.