Does Atopic Dermatitis Increase Eczema Risk?

Adolescents with atopic dermatitis are 3 times more likely to develop hand eczema, according to a new study.

Although the connection between atopic dermatitis and hand eczema is well researched, researchers wanted to examine how the age of onset, persistence, and severity of atopic dermatitis impacts the risk of developing hand eczema.
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To conduct their study, researchers collected information from the population-based BAMSE birth cohort study in Sweden. They followed 2927 participants who frequently followed up with allergy-related diseases over a 16-year period.

Researchers analyzed participants’ blood samples and administered questionnaires to gauge how many adolescents had hand eczema at age 16.

Results showed that 5.2% of participants had hand eczema at 16 years old. In addition, 73% had a history of atopic dermatitis, and 55% had a history of asthma and/or rhinitis. Therefore, adolescents with atopic dermatitis are 3 times more likely to have hand eczema.

“We confirm a strong association between AD during childhood and hand eczema in adolescence,” researchers concluded. “Children with persistent or more severe AD are at greater risk of developing hand eczema.”

--Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Grönhagen C, Lidén C, Wahlgren CF, et al. Hand eczema and atopic dermatitis in adolescents: A prospective cohort study from the BAMSE project. Br J Dermatol. 2015;173(5):1175-1182.