Eczema is a dermatological disease that would have consequences on the health and well-being of patients, according to the results of a study published in the scientific journal Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Indeed, this disease would encourage risky practices such as smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and sleep disorders. By combining these risky practices, patients increase their risk of developing chronic and cardiovascular diseases.
Dr. Jonathan Silverberg, a dermatologist at the School of Medicine at the University of Chicago (United States) studied the medical data and lifestyle habits of 60,000 adults to understand whether eczema increased cardiovascular risk.
The results of the study reveal that participants with eczema smoked and drank more than others and were 52% more likely to suffer from morbid obesity. Not to mention that their illness seemed to make them sedentary. He also found that these patients had a 48% higher risk of having hypertension, 93% of prediabetes, 42% of diabetes and had a 36% additional risk of having an increased cholesterol level.
“This disease has an immense emotional impact on those who have it, similar to chronic pain. Because eczema often begins in early childhood, patients are affected throughout their development and during adolescence”, analyzes Dr Jonathan Silverberg. “It disrupts their self-esteem and their identity. This is partly why we see all these harmful behaviors once we reach adulthood. »
“It opens the eyes of the world of dermatology to the fact that we are not only treating chronic inflammation of the skin, but also its behavioral aspect and its impact on lifestyle”, recalls Jonathan Silverberg. “Dermatologists should ask their patients about their lifestyle habits, such as smoking orphysical activity, in order to offer solutions. concludes the author of the research.
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