Early-Onset AD Linked to Higher Rates of Atopic March

Early-onset atopic dermatitis (AD) is associated with higher rates of developing atopic march conditions compared to controls, according to new research in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

“Particular attention should be paid towards risk factors and atopic march screening in early-onset AD patients,” the researchers wrote.

A retrospective cohort analysis to determine risk factors for atopic march in early-onset AD patients and the temporality between AD and atopic march utilized MarketScan Research Database data from 2010 to 2018. The researchers compared infants diagnosed with AD before age 1 with controls without early-onset AD, with the primary outcomes being hazard ratios for development of asthma, allergic rhinitis and food allergy.

Higher proportions of AD patients developed asthma (19.21% vs 8.65%, p<0.001), allergic rhinitis (28.27% vs 12.62%, p<0.001), food allergy (16.00% vs 2.27%, p<0.001), and all atopic triad conditions (10.69% vs 0.71%, p<0.001). Among AD patients, higher proportions developed the atopic triad if they were male (HR 1.66, 95% confidence interval [1.45-1.90]), had severe disease (HR 3.16, [2.77-3.60]), or had family atopy history (HR>3.40, p<0.001 for all comparisons). Among AD patients, 20.1% developed allergic rhinitis.