Chronic Urticaria in Elderly-New Insights

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Dermatology
• Immunology

Background:

• Chronic urticaria (CU) is common, but its presentation and management in older adults (≥65 years) are understudied.
• Unique demographic and clinical profiles of medical conditions are observed in the elderly population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To delineate the demographics, clinical characteristics, and comorbidities of elderly patients diagnosed with chronic urticaria.
• To evaluate the outcomes and impact of specialist intervention for chronic urticaria in older adults.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, single-center study analyzing electronic medical records of patients aged 65 years and above diagnosed with CU.
• Inclusion criteria focused on patients diagnosed with CU, distinguishing between chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) and chronic inducible urticaria.

Main Results:

• 181 elderly patients (166 CSU, 15 chronic inducible urticaria) were identified; most CSU patients were female (72%).
• Key comorbidities included autoimmunity (22.9%), malignancy (13.8%), and atopy (11.5%).
• Specialist referral was associated with significant reductions in systemic steroid use, hospitalizations, and emergency/primary physician visits.

Conclusions:

• Elderly patients with CU exhibit distinct characteristics, notably a higher prevalence of autoimmunity and malignancy compared to atopy.
• Increased awareness of CU in the elderly population and timely referral to allergy specialists are crucial for improving patient outcomes.