Clinical Impact of Systemic Treatment Choices Made in Current Practice in Elderly Patients with Atopic Dermatitis

Increasing life expectancy will lead to more elderly people with atopic dermatitis; however, analyses of the impact of atopic dermatitis therapy on the elderly are lacking. This prospective, multicentre observational study assessed the effect of treatment choice on the efficacy of atopic dermatitis therapies in patients with atopic dermatitis aged ≥ 65 years vs < 65 years in France. Clinical endpoints assessed included changes in Eczema Area and Severity Index scores, atopic dermatitis-related hospitalizations, and quality of life. Between December 2020 and October 2024, 679 patients were included in the study (≥65 years: n = 83; < 65 years: n = 596). At baseline, most patients had moderate/severe atopic dermatitis. Biological therapy was the most common treatment initiated at the enrollment visit (≥ 65 years: 72.3%; < 65 years: 54.0%). At 12 months, the mean Eczema Area and Severity Index score decreased similarly in both groups (p = 0.845), from 17.6 ±9.6 to 3.7 ± 5.2 for patients aged ≥ 65 years and from 18.4 ±12.3 to 4.3 ± 5.5 for those aged < 65 years. The reduction in number of atopic dermatitis-related hospitalizations was significant and similar in both groups, and quality of life improved across all areas. Overall, results suggest that therapeutic choices made by dermatologists have a positive impact on elderly patients with atopic dermatitis.