What Factors Are Associated With the Burden of Atopic Dermatitis?
By Dermsquared Editorial Team | June 29, 2022
Atopic dermatitis (AD) severity and time spent managing symptoms are strongly associated with disease burden, according to a study published online June 29 in JAMA Dermatology.
Rawaan Elsawi, from the University of Toronto and Women's College Research Institute, and colleagues describe the multidimensional burden of AD in a survey study involving adult patients conducted between Aug. 1, 2019, and Oct. 11, 2019. The associations between demographic and clinical variables and patient-reported overall AD impact scores were assessed.
The researchers found that 46 percent of the 1,065 survey respondents reported low-moderate AD impact scores (2 to 3), 51 percent reported high-significant impact scores (4 to 5), and 3 percent reported no association of AD with disease burden (impact score 1). Current AD severity (odds ratios, 4.13 and 13.63 for moderate and severe, respectively, versus mild) and time spent managing AD (odds ratios, 2.67 and 5.34 for 11 to 20 and ≥21 hours, respectively, versus less than five hours per week) were strongly associated with overall impact scores.
"Further work to address the complex burden of AD, including strategies to reduce time spent managing AD, and understanding the fullness of the patient experience is needed," the authors write.
Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.