Atopic eczema is associated with a small but increased risk for incident dementia, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology that assessed the association among nearly 1.8 million older adults aged 60-99 registered with the UK Health Improvement Network. The incidence of dementia was 57 per 10,000 personyears among those with atopic eczema, compared with 44 per 10,000 person-years in the control group, yielding a 27% increased risk for dementia. Findings were similar for vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The association remained after additional adjustment for systemic corticosteroid use. The risk was found to be even higher with more severe eczema. “Atopic eczema is common among older adults; therefore, future work should investigate the impact of screening patients with atopic eczema for cognitive impairment in older adulthood,” the study authors wrote
