Atopic dermatitis and risk of atrial fibrillation or flutter: A 35-year follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis is characterized by chronic inflammation, which is a risk factor for atrial fibrillation. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between hospital-diagnosed atopic dermatitis and atrial fibrillation. METHODS: Using linked population-based Danish registries, we identified persons with an inpatient or outpatient hospital diagnosis of atopic dermatitis during 1977-2013 and a comparison cohort individually matched to the atopic dermatitis cohort. We followed cohorts until death, emigration, atrial fibrillation diagnosis, or end of study (January 1, 2013). We compared 35-year risk of atrial fibrillation and estimated hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals using Cox regression, adjusting for birth year and sex. We validated 100 atopic dermatitis diagnoses from a dermatologic department through medical record review. RESULTS: We included 13,126 persons with atopic dermatitis and 124,211 comparators and followed them for a median of 19.3 years. The 35-year risk of atrial fibrillation was 0.81% and 0.67%, respectively. The positive predictive value of atopic dermatitis diagnoses was 99%. The hazard ratio was 1.2 (95% confidence interval 1.0-1.6) and remained increased after adjusting for various atrial fibrillation risk factors. LIMITATIONS: Analyses were limited to persons with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, and we had no lifestyle data. CONCLUSION: Patients with hospital-diagnosed atopic dermatitis have a 20% increased long-term risk of atrial fibrillation, but the absolute risk remains low

Association Between Atopic Dermatitis and Educational Attainment in Denmark.

IMPORTANCE: Atopic dermatitis (AD) may affect academic performance through multiple pathways, including poor concentration associated with itching, sleep deprivation, or adverse effects of medications. Because educational attainment is associated with health and well-being, any association with a prevalent condition such as AD is of major importance. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether a childhood diagnosis of AD is associated with lower educational attainment. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This population-based cohort study used linked routine health care data from January 1, 1977, to June 30, 2017 (end of registry follow-up), in Denmark. The study population included all children born in Denmark on June 30, 1987, or earlier with an inpatient or outpatient hospital clinic diagnosis of AD recorded before their 13th birthday (baseline) and a comparison cohort of children from the general population matched by birth year and sex. A secondary analysis included exposure-discordant full siblings as a comparison cohort to account for familial factors. Data were analyzed from September 11, 2019, to January 21, 2021. EXPOSURES: Hospital-diagnosed AD. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Estimated probability or risk of not attaining specific educational levels (lower secondary, upper secondary, and higher) by 30 years of age among children with AD compared with children in the matched general population cohort. Corresponding risk ratios (RRs) were computed using Poisson regression that was conditioned on matched sets and adjusted for age. The sibling analysis was conditioned on family and adjusted for sex and age. RESULTS: The study included a total of 61 153 children, 5927 in the AD cohort (3341 male [56.4%]) and 55 226 from the general population (31 182 male [56.5%]). Compared with matched children from the general population, children with AD were at increased risk of not attaining lower secondary education (150 of 5927 [2.5%] vs 924 of 55 226 [1.7%]; adjusted RR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.26-1.78) and upper secondary education (1141 of 5777 [19.8%] vs 8690 of 52 899 [16.4%]; RR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.09-1.24), but not higher education (2406 of 4636 [51.9%] vs 18 785 of 35 408 [53.1%]; RR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.91-1.00). The absolute differences in probability were less than 3.5%. The comparison of 3259 children with AD and 4046 of their full siblings yielded estimates that were less pronounced than those in the main analysis (adjusted RR for lower secondary education, 1.29 [95% CI, 0.92-1.82]; adjusted RR for upper secondary education, 1.05 [95% CI, 0.93-1.18]; adjusted RR for higher education, 0.94 [95% CI, 0.87-1.02]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This population-based cohort study found that hospital-diagnosed AD was associated with reduced educational attainment, but the clinical importance was uncertain owing to small absolute differences and possible confounding by familial factors in this study. Future studies should examine for replicability in other populations and variation by AD phenotype

Pimecrolimus in atopic dermatitis: Consensus on safety and the need to allow use in infants

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a distressing dermatological disease, which is highly prevalent during infancy, can persist into later life and requires long-term management with anti-inflammatory compounds. The introduction of the topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCIs), tacrolimus and pimecrolimus, more than 10 yr ago was a major breakthrough for the topical anti-inflammatory treatment of AD. Pimecrolimus 1% is approved for second-line use in children (≥2 yr old) and adults with mild-to-moderate AD. The age restriction was emphasized in a boxed warning added by the FDA in January 2006, which also highlights the lack of long-term safety data and the theoretical risk of skin malignancy and lymphoma. Since then, pimecrolimus has been extensively investigated in short- and long-term studies including over 4000 infants (<2 yr old). These studies showed that pimecrolimus effectively treats AD in infants, with sustained improvement with long-term intermittent use. Unlike topical corticosteroids, long-term TCI use does not carry the risks of skin atrophy, impaired epidermal barrier function or enhanced percutaneous absorption, and so is suitable for AD treatment especially in sensitive skin areas. Most importantly, the studies of pimecrolimus in infants provided no evidence for systemic immunosuppression, and a comprehensive body of evidence from clinical studies, post-marketing surveillance and epidemiological investigations does not support potential safety concerns. In conclusion, the authors consider that the labelling restrictions regarding the use of pimecrolimus in infants are no longer justified and recommend that the validity of the boxed warning for TCIs should be reconsidered

When does atopic dermatitis warrant systemic therapy? Recommendations from an expert panel of the International Eczema Council

BackgroundAlthough most patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) are effectively managed with topical medication, a significant minority require systemic therapy. Guidelines for decision making about advancement to systemic therapy are lacking.ObjectiveTo guide those considering use of systemic therapy in AD and provide a framework for evaluation before making this therapeutic decision with the patient.MethodsA subgroup of the International Eczema Council determined aspects to consider before prescribing systemic therapy. Topics were assigned to expert reviewers who performed a topic-specific literature review, referred to guidelines when available, and provided interpretation and expert opinion.ResultsWe recommend a systematic and holistic approach to assess patients with severe signs and symptoms of AD and impact on quality of life before systemic therapy. Steps taken before commencing systemic therapy include considering alternate or concomitant diagnoses, avoiding trigger factors, optimizing topical therapy, ensuring adequate patient/caregiver education, treating coexistent infection, assessing the impact on quality of life, and considering phototherapy.LimitationsOur work is a consensus statement, not a systematic review.ConclusionThe decision to start systemic medication should include assessment of severity and quality of life while considering the individual's general health status, psychologic needs, and personal attitudes toward systemic therapies

Priority research questions in atopic dermatitis : an International Eczema Council eDelphi consensus

Recent advances in understanding the complex pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD, also known as eczema or atopic eczema), coupled with the development of new treatments, have led to increased interest from multiple stakeholders. There is a need to prioritize areas for research to inform a coordinated approach to advancing science and patient care

Risk for alcoholic liver cirrhosis after an initial hospital contact with alcohol problems: A nationwide prospective cohort study.

Alcoholic liver cirrhosis is usually preceded by many years of heavy drinking, in which cessation in drinking could prevent the disease. Alcohol problems are not consistently managed in hospital patients. We followed all Danish patients with an initial hospital contact with alcohol problems (intoxication, harmful use, or dependence) during 1998-2002 for alcoholic liver cirrhosis development (n = 36,044). In this registry-based cohort, we identified predictors of the absolute risk for alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were estimated as the incidence rate of alcoholic liver cirrhosis in these patients relative to the general population. Age and alcohol diagnosis were significant predictors of alcoholic liver cirrhosis risk in men and women, whereas civil status, education, and type of hospital care were not. In men, the 15-year absolute risk was 0.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.4, 0.8) for 20-29 years, 5.5% (95% CI, 4.9, 6.2) for 30-39 years, 9.8% (95% CI, 9.0, 11) for 40-49 years, 8.9% (95% CI, 8.1, 9.8) for 50-59 years, 6.2% (95% CI, 5.1, 7.2) for 60-69 years, and 2.5% (95% CI, 1.7, 3.3) for 70-84 years. According to alcohol diagnosis in men, the 15-year absolute risk was 2.6% (95% CI, 2.3, 2.9) for intoxication, 7.7% (95% CI, 6.4, 7.9) for harmful use, and 8.8% (95% CI, 8.2, 9.4) for dependence. The IRR for alcoholic liver cirrhosis in the cohort relative to the general population was 11 (95% CI, 10, 12) in men and 18 (95% CI, 15, 21) in women. CONCLUSION: Hospital patients with alcohol problems had a much greater risk for alcoholic liver cirrhosis compared to the general population. The risk was particularly increased for patients 40-59 years and for patients diagnosed with harmful use or dependence. (Hepatology 2017;65:929-937)

Memory Buttons in Combination with Mobile Application-Induced Objective and Subjective Effects in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis

Background. Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic skin condition where nonadherence often results in lack of disease control. Objective. We wanted to determine whether the combination of an electronic memory button and a supportive application (app) would affect the Quality of Life and subjective and objective severity measures among AD patients over one month following the patient’s normal schedules of treatment. Methods. A randomized, investigator-blinded, prospective observational feasibility study for one month where patients diagnosed with AD were randomized based on POEM severity score and divided into 3 groups. The 3 groups were (1) the control group with two consultations, (2) in addition to group 1, patients also received electronic memory buttons to click every time they used their topical products, and (3) in addition to group 2, patients also received an app to track their treatment schedules. At both consultations, patients were evaluated using SCORAD, EASI, POEM, and DLQI. Results. 96 patients were enrolled and randomized, of which 83 patients completed the study. EASI and SCORAD scores were lower in all groups at 2nd consultation (p<0.05); however, these were highly significant for group 3 (p<0.005), and for EASI between groups 2 and 3 (p<0.05). The POEM score decreased significantly in group 3 (p=0.024), and no difference was found in DLQI between visits. Conclusion. A reduction in severity following objective assessments of the AD was observed for all groups and was highly significant for patients offered a memory button and the corresponding app. Furthermore, patients reported a significant subjective beneficial effect if they used the memory button and app. This indicates that digital solutions may have a benefit in clinical practice and may reduce nonadherence and increase the wellbeing of the patients