Allergy - Patients with Atopic Dermatitis Express Themselves Through a Questionnaire

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Dermatology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Allergies and skin diseases, particularly atopic dermatitis (AD), are increasing worldwide.
• Immune system dysregulation in the skin can trigger inflammatory conditions like atopic and contact dermatitis, infections, and allergies.
• The 'atopic march' illustrates how childhood AD can precede the development of food allergies, allergic rhinitis, and asthma.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between self-reported, doctor-diagnosed atopic dermatitis (AD) and the prevalence of allergies.
• To analyze the relationship between current AD, childhood AD (CAD), and various allergy types.

Main Methods:

• An international online survey was conducted with a representative sample of adults (18+) from Brazil, China, Russia, the USA, and France.
• Data collected included self-reported doctor-diagnosed allergies and atopic dermatitis (current and childhood).

Main Results:

• Out of 9399 participants, 26.4% reported doctor-diagnosed allergies.
• Participants with allergies showed significantly higher rates of current AD (31.9%) and childhood AD (52.3%) compared to those without allergies (9.25% and 19.8%, respectively).
• Multivariate analysis revealed increased odds ratios for current AD (3.24) and childhood AD (2.4) in individuals with allergies.

Conclusions:

• A significant portion of the global population (26.4%) reports doctor-diagnosed allergies.
• Individuals with atopic dermatitis (current or childhood) exhibit a substantially elevated risk of having allergies.
• Findings underscore the strong link between atopic dermatitis and allergic conditions, highlighting the need for integrated management approaches.