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Is atopic dermatitis associated with obesity? A systematic review of observational studies
Author(s) -
Ali Z.,
Suppli Ulrik C.,
Agner T.,
Thomsen S.F.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of the european academy of dermatology and venereology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.655
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1468-3083
pISSN - 0926-9959
DOI - 10.1111/jdv.14879
Subject(s) - medicine , observational study , overweight , atopic dermatitis , cochrane library , systematic review , obesity , childhood obesity , meta analysis , medline , prospective cohort study , cohort study , pediatrics , gerontology , dermatology , political science , law
Obesity has been associated with atopic dermatitis ( AD ); however, the results have been conflicting. Our aim was to provide an update on current knowledge from observational studies addressing the possible association between obesity and AD . Systematic literature review was performed by identifying studies addressing a possible link between AD and overweight/obesity from PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐Analyses ( PRISMA ) guidelines. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. A total of 45 studies (comprising more than 90 000 individuals with AD ) fulfilled the criteria and were included in the present review. The available studies revealed inconsistencies, but the majority indicated that obesity is associated with AD . Studies addressing obesity in infancy or early childhood (age < 2 years) and AD reported a positive association. From childhood into adulthood, there is a discrepancy in the observations, as the more recent prospective studies found a positive association, whereas this was not observed in older cross‐sectional studies. The inconsistency might be explained by the difference in study design, the diagnostic criteria of AD , regional differences, and by the varied definitions of overweight and obesity used in the studies. In Conclusion, overweight/obesity is associated with an increased risk of AD . Large prospective cohort studies are required to confirm the association between AD and obesity and the possibility that weight control in childhood may help to mitigate or reverse AD symptoms.