Several factors significantly tied to atopic dermatitis disease burden

Atopic dermatitis (AD) severity and time spent managing symptoms have the strongest associations with self-reported disease burden, according to a study recently published in JAMA Dermatology.

Rawaan Elsawi, from University of Toronto and Women's College Research Institute, and colleagues examined the burden of AD among 1,065 adult survey respondents (83 percent women).

The researchers found that 46 percent of participants reported low-moderate AD impact scores (2 to 3), while 51 percent reported high-significant impact scores (4 to 5) and just 3 percent reported no disease burden (impact score, 1). Overall impact scores were strongly associated with 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 hours and ≥21 hours, respectively, versus less than five hours).

"In this survey study, skin disease severity and time spent managing symptoms were strongly associated with AD disease burden. No single aspect of the disease seemed to drive disease burden; rather, the burden is multidimensional and heterogeneous," the authors write. "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."

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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