Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Adults with Atopic Dermatitis: A Cross-sectional Study

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease linked to systemic comorbidities, although its relationship with cardiovascular risk) remains controversial. The main objective of this study was to evaluate cardiovascular risk-related factors in AD and explore associations with disease severity. A cross-sectional study including adults with AD and healthy controls was conducted. Cardiovascular risk assessment included anthropometric, lifestyle, vascular and laboratory data, with global risk estimated using the PREVENT equations. The study included 100 adults (50 AD patients and 50 controls). Patients had moderate-to-severe disease (SCORAD 49.19±16.41). Compared with controls, AD patients showed higher BMI (27.25 vs 24.63 kg/m², p=0.01), lower Mediterranean diet adherence (p<0.001) and reduced physical activity (p=0.03). Mean arterial pressure (103.67 vs 93.55 mmHg, p=0.001), LDH (215.31 vs 183.88 IU/L; p=0.008) and CRP (7.90 vs 0.84 mg/L, p=0.05) were significantly higher in patients. Higher v-IGA scores were associated with increased fasting glucose and heart rate. Estimated 10 year cardiovascular risk was significantly higher in AD than in controls (p=0.04). Overall, AD patients exhibit an unfavourable cardiometabolic profile. Greater disease severity may be linked to vascular alterations, supporting the need for cardiovascular assessment in AD management.