Alopecia Areata Sufferers More Susceptible To Atopic Dermatitis

added 15th January 2015

People with the hair loss condition Alopecia Areata have been found to be more susceptible to the inflammatory skin disease Atopic Dermatitis, according to a new study published by JAMA Dermatology.

The Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago had a team including Girish C. Mohan, M.D. and Jonathan I. Silverberg, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., conduct a systematic review of data using 33 previous observational studies of patients with Alopecia Areata and Atopic Dermatitis.

Findings pointed to people with Alopecia Areata having an increased risk of Atopic Dermatitis, which is also known as Atopic Eczema. This chronic, inflammatory skin condition causes the skin in body creases, such as at the bend of the arm or behind the knees, to become red, itchy and dry. In severe cases it may even cause the skin to crack and bleed.

Previous studies into the link between Alopecia Areata and Atopic Dermatitis have not been as broad as this latest research, and have often produced conflicting results. The in-depth Northwestern study found that between 9-26% of subjects with Alopecia Areata also had Atopic Dermatitis. Given the figures for Atopic Dermatitis sufferers within the general population not affected by alopecia is 5-20%, this revealed a significantly increased risk of developing the skin condition for people with Alopecia Areata.

Whilst, like Alopecia Areata, the precise cause of Atopic Dermatitis is still unknown, this latest link may help to further research into both the conditions and possible future treatments.