New York News
Adults with atopic dermatitis (AD) have a 34 percent increased risk of developing new-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) compared with individuals who do not have the skin condition, and children have a 44 percent increased risk, according to a new study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, as the severity of AD increased, the risk of developing IBD rose. These findings clear up ambiguity from previous research, especially among populations of children and between the different types of inflammatory bowel disease: ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Insight offered from this study, recently published in JAMA Dermatology,could lead to new treatments for both IBD and AD.
IBD encompasses the diseases ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, which are disorders involving chronic digestive tract inflammation. While IBD is located in the gut and AD affects the skin, both diseases are driven by the immune system and are categorized by severe inflammation.
“It is imperative for clinicians to understand atopic dermatitis and the trajectory of our patients with it in order to provide the best standard of care,” said senior author Joel M Gelfand, MD, the James J. Leyden, M.D. Endowed Profes