Atopic Dermatitis Likely Not Associated With Cardiometabolic Disease

Atopic dermatitis is unlikely to have an independent association with cardiometabolic disease, according to a study recently published in the British Journal of Dermatology. This suggests that atopic dermatitis should not be considered as a likely clinical risk factor.

This meta-analysis included 16 publications for qualitative analysis and 13 for quantitative analysis found by searching the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Only 2 studies found an association between atopic dermatitis and angina pectoris (odds ratio [OR], 1.73; 95% CI, 1.27 to 2.37), which included 4 cohorts.

In quantitative analysis of crude data, no association was found between atopic dermatitis and hypertension (pooled OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.98 to 1.37), undiagnosed but suspected type 2 diabetes (pooled OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.87 to 1.42), stroke (pooled OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.95 to 1.39), or myocardial infarction (pooled OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.56). Similar results were found when data were given relevant adjustments.

Data for this study was collected through comparison of risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes against those with and without atopic dermatitis. The 2 reviewers worked independently on data extraction. In total, 2855 citations yielded 53 relevant results via abstract and title. The majority of included studies utilized questionnaires to identify atopic dermatitis, which presents a limitation due to possible confusion of this condition with others like psoriasis, eczema, and lupus.

The study researchers conclude that “[while] adults with [atopic dermatitis] in some populations have an increased prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, such as obesity and smoking, it is unlikely that [atopic dermatitis] represents an independent and clinically relevant risk factor for cardiometabolic disease.”

Reference

Thyssen JP, Halling-Overgaard AS, Andersen YMF, Gislason G, Skov L, Egeberg A. The association with cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in adults with atopic dermatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Dermatol. 2018 Jun;178(6):1272-1279. doi: 10.1111/bjd.16215