It is not eczema that increases the risk of death, but rather its consequences on the state of health. People who suffer from severe atopic eczema have less physical activity, a very degraded quality of sleep and a weakened immune system, which favors the emergence of other deadly diseases and infections.
- People with severe atopic eczema are more likely to die than others.
- These risks do not come from their skin disease but rather from what it generates on their health, in particular on the level of the immune system.
- With poor sleep quality and a weakened immune system, it is more difficult to resist multiple infections.
Eczema is a disabling disease in many respects, which can transform the daily lives of people who suffer from it into an ordeal. Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, the University of Nottingham (UK) and the University of California San Francisco (USA) ) demonstrate that there is indeed an overall increase in mortality in patients with atopic eczema. Additionally, people who suffer from severe atopic eczema may have a greater risk of dying from several health conditions compared to those who do not suffer from eczema. The results of this study were published on January 27, 2021 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Atopic eczema affects up to 10% of adults and is becoming increasingly common worldwide. The disease is characterized by itching, superficial skin lesions, and insomnia, which have adverse effects on the quality of life, both social and intimate. About 30% of people with atopic eczema have moderate to severe disease.
The study compared the risk of death in more than 500,000 adults with atopic eczema (including 35,000 with a severe form) to that of more than 2.5 million adults without eczema between 1998 and 2016. It found that people with severe atopic eczema have a 62% higher risk of dying than people without atopic eczema, due to several causes that are not directly related to their skin condition.
A less healthy immune system and body
In fact, people with severe eczema are more prone to infections, lung problems, and kidney or bladder problems. Researchers found that patients with atopic eczema had an 8-14% increased risk of death from infectious, digestive, and genitourinary causes. This increased mortality does not affect everyone, but only those suffering from severe atomic eczema.
To understand why eczema increases the risk of death, you have to look at the scientific literature. Previous studies suggest that the elevated risk may be linked to reduced physical activity and poorer sleep quality in people with severe eczema. Moreover, this would be accompanied by an immunological dysfunction due to the disease itself, or even the drug treatments followed by the patients.
“Although the absolute risk of death from severe eczema is low, our findings suggest that people with severe or more active forms of the disease are at higher risk of dying from associated health problems.says Amanda Roberts, one of the authors of the study. We hope that this new information will help inform further research to better understand this pattern and the mechanisms underlying these associations, and subsequently inform and improve treatment processes for people with severe eczema. ”
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