Adult patients with alopecia areata report a significantly better medication adherence compared to those with atopic dermatitis: Results from a large cross-sectional cohort study.

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) and atopic dermatitis (AD) are chronic skin diseases where the suboptimal medication adherence (MA) may result in poor clinical outcomes. Objective: To assess the impact of AA on MA among adults compared to AD. Methods: Patient reported MA of adults with AA were compared with AD. Patients were identified from the Danish Skin Cohort, a nationwide prospective cohort of dermatological patients in Denmark. We used the Medication Adherence Report Scale- 5, a self-reporting questionnaire, to assess MA. Demographic and disease characteristics were collected. Logistic regression was conducted. Results: Patients with AA reported higher MA than AD (mean 21.81 vs 18.29). Logistic regression analyses showed AA diagnosis had a statistically significant positive effect on MA (odds ratio = 3.94, 95% CI 2.01-8.89). Men reported significantly higher MA (odds ratio = 1.49, 95% CI 1.14-1.94). Current disease severity did not impact MA. Limitations: Data were self-reported by patients. Data regarding the specific treatment undergone by patients were not available. Conclusion: Patients with AA have significantly higher MA compared to patients with AD. The stability of AA patients' symptoms may lead to higher MA due to a desire for disease control. Conversely, the sporadicity of AD symptoms could negatively affect adherence, causing fluctuations in medication use.

Characterization of patients with atopic dermatitis based on flare patterns and severity of disease: A Danish population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Flare patterns are not routinely considered in the severity classification or in clinical decision-making of atopic dermatitis (AD), but frequent or severe flares may contribute considerably to the disease burden. OBJECTIVES: To characterize patients with AD in relation to their flare pattern and compare flare patterns to disease severity, life quality and treatment satisfaction. METHODS: Patients with AD from the Danish Skin Cohort were included if they had active AD with and available data on number of flare-ups within the last 12 months. Categorical variables were presented as frequencies and percentages, whereas numerical variables were presented as median and interquartile ranges (IQR). Between-group differences were tested with chi-squared tests. RESULTS: A total of 1557 patients were included, with 57 reporting 0 flares, 698 (1-5 flares), 324 (6-10 flares) and 478 reporting >10 flares during the past 12 months. Both the severity measured by PO-SCORAD and the impairment of life quality measured by DLQI were higher among patients with more flares (median [IQR] PO-SCORAD: 13.0 [5.6-22.3], 29.7 [20.8-40.6], 36.3 [26.7-47.6]and 42.9 [30.7-55.6], respectively for the four flares strata, and median [IQR] DLQI: 1.0 [0.0-2.0], 3.0 [1.0-7.0], 4.0 [1.8-9.0] and 7.0 [3.0-11.0]). Satisfaction with the current treatment was generally higher among patients with no flares. However, 36.8%, 24.6% and 23.7% of patients with 1-5, 6-10 and >10 flares reported being extremely or very satisfied with their current treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with many flares often report a higher severity and impairment of life quality compared to patients with fewer flares. Information on flaring could benefit treatment decisions, thereby decreasing undertreatment of patients with mild AD but severe flaring.

Characteristics and drivers of fatigue in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: A cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: A multitude of factors may influence fatigue in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA); however, their individual fatigue components have not been thoroughly examined. OBJECTIVES: To explore characteristics of fatigue and its potential drivers in a cohort of patients with psoriasis with or without PsA. METHODS: Adults with psoriasis and a nonpsoriasis control group completed the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 questionnaire. Patients with psoriasis also reported joint pain intensity, pruritus, skin pain, and sleep problems using a numerical rating scale. Linear regression models were applied to continuous outcomes, and beta coefficients (ß) for the slopes were estimated with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Among 2741 adults with psoriasis (of which 593 also had PsA) and 3788 controls, the impact on total fatigue was greatest for PsA (ß = 5.22; 95% CI, 3.55-6.90), followed by psoriasis (ß = 2.10; 95% CI, 0.96-3.25), compared with the general population (Ptrend < .0001). Among patients with psoriasis with or without PsA, increasing joint pain intensity was associated with overall fatigue (ß = 2.23 [95% CI, 2.03-2.44] for each 1-point increase in joint pain numerical rating scale score). LIMITATIONS: We lacked information on the effect of pharmacotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the importance of a symptom-based approach when treating psoriasis, rather than focusing on objective severity measures alone.

Adverse events from topical corticosteroid use in chronic hand eczema - Findings from the Danish Skin Cohort.

Background: Topical corticosteroids (TCS) are used to treat most patients with chronic hand eczema (CHE), but knowledge about TCS-related adverse events in CHE is limited. Objectives: To investigate patient-reported adverse events to TCS in CHE patients. Methods: Data on adverse events related to TCS use in patients with CHE were analyzed from the Danish Skin Cohort; a prospective survey of a hospital cohort. We assessed patients' knowledge about TCS use and adverse event risks, and preference of TCS versus a nonsteroidal topical alternative. Results: Of 724 adults with CHE (64.0% women; mean age 57.5 [standard deviation 12.8] years), 64.1% reported skin atrophy, 41.4% cracks/fissures, 23.9% bleeding, 45.9% pain/stinging sensation, 40.0% reduced hand dexterity, and 40.2% worsening of CHE signs or symptoms from using TCS. We observed CHE-severity-dependent associations (all groups; P < .0001). Most patients (76.4%) would prefer a nonsteroidal option, 10.9% were neutral/indifferent, and 12.7% would prefer TCS for CHE. The median numerical rating scale-score (ranging from 0 to 10) was 10 (interquartile range 6-10) for preferring a nonsteroidal topical treatment. Limitations: Differences across TCS formulations were unexplored. Conclusion: TCS-related cutaneous adverse events were common. There is a desire from patients for novel steroid-free topical alternatives for CHE treatment.

Atopic dermatitis phenotypes based on cluster analysis of the Danish Skin Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Despite previous attempts to classify atopic dermatitis (AD) into subtypes (e.g. extrinsic vs. intrinsic), there is a need to better understand specific phenotypes in adulthood. OBJECTIVES: To identify, using machine learning (ML), adult AD phenotypes. METHODS: We used unsupervised cluster analysis to identify AD phenotypes by analysing different responses to predetermined variables (age of disease onset, severity, itch and skin pain intensity, flare frequency, anatomical location, presence and/or severity of current comorbidities) in adults with AD from the Danish Skin Cohort. RESULTS: The unsupervised cluster analysis resulted in five clusters where AD severity most clearly differed. We classified them as 'mild', 'mild-to-moderate', 'moderate', 'severe' and 'very severe'. The severity of multiple predetermined patient-reported outcomes was positively associated with AD, including an increased number of flare-ups and increased flare-up duration and disease severity. However, an increased severity of rhinitis and mental health burden was also found for the mild-to-moderate phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: ML confirmed the use of disease severity for the categorization of phenotypes, and our cluster analysis provided novel detailed information about how flare patterns and duration are associated with AD disease severity.

Demographics, characteristics and medical treatment among adults with hand eczema in Denmark. A cross-sectional validation and registry-based study.

BACKGROUND: The international classification of diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) includes several unvalidated diagnostic codes for hand eczema (HE). Knowledge is sparse on HE patient characteristics. OBJECTIVES: To validate selected HE ICD-10 codes in the Danish National Patient Registry (DNPR) and describe disease characteristics, lifestyle factors and medication use in adult HE patients. METHODS: Nineteen HE ICD-10 codes were selected and validated based on patient charts. Five cohorts were constructed based on the diagnostic code, DL30.8H (HE unspecified), in the DNPR: (i) patients with DL30.8H code (n = 8386), (ii) patients with DL30.8H code, but without atopic dermatitis (AD) (n = 7406), (iii) sex- and age-matched general population (n = 8386) without HE. Two additional cohorts nested in the DNPR included participants from the Danish Skin Cohort, (iv) patients with DL30.8H code but without AD (n = 1340) and (v) general population cohort (n = 9876). RESULTS: ICD-10 codes revealed positive predictive values ≥90% except irritant contact dermatitis (unspecified) (79.7%) and hyperkeratotic hand and foot eczema (84.1%). HE patients were most often women, middle-aged or older, of Danish ethnicity, had an atopic medical history and were smokers. Topical corticosteroid prescriptions were almost doubled in HE cohorts compared to general populations. CONCLUSION: We validated several HE ICD-10 codes and identified important HE patient characteristics.

The Association Between Fatigue and Adult Atopic Dermatitis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: There is currently limited insight into the broader impact of atopic dermatitis (AD) on mental health. Although studies indicate that AD patients may experience fatigue, no study has so far examined fatigue in more granular detail, for example, occurrence of general fatigue, physical fatigue, reduced activity, reduced motivation, and mental fatigue, or correlated fatigue measures with AD severity and symptoms intensity. Objectives: To examine fatigue subtypes and their prevalence in adults with AD, as well as their possible association with AD severity. Methods: A survey was conducted in adults with AD who had been managed in a hospital setting. The Patient-Oriented SCORing Atopic Dermatitis was used to determine AD severity. Patient reported outcomes, including multidimensional fatigue inventory, were included. Results: Data from 2729 adults with AD were analyzed. The total and individual fatigue scores increased consistently with lower socioeconomic scores, higher AD severity, Dermatology Life Quality Index, itch, pain, and sleep scores. Increased fatigue scores were associated with AD severity in adjusted analyses. Conclusions: Among adults with AD, fatigue scores increased with disease severity as well as intensity of AD symptoms. Fatigue is a hitherto underappreciated symptom of AD that clinicians should be cognizant about.

Incidence, prevalence and risk of acne in adolescent and adult patients with atopic dermatitis: a matched cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Use of Janus kinase 1 inhibitors in moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) is associated with incident acne in adolescent and adults that is mostly mild, transient and treatable. There is a need for more knowledge about the risk and severity of acne in patients with AD. OBJECTIVES: To examine the prevalence, incidence and risk of acne in adolescents and adults with AD using nationwide prescription data. METHODS: A matched cohort study of 6600 adults with AD and 66 000 controls was conducted using routinely and prospectively collected nationwide administrative data. Adjusted hazard ratios (HR) are reported with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: The 12-month prevalence of acne was 3.7% in the general population and 3.9% among AD patients. The incidence rate of acne was highest among 12- to 18-year-old AD patients, and overall slightly higher in women with AD compared with males. The overall risk in patients with AD was similar with that of the general population (HR 0.96; 95% CI 0.88-1.06), whereas the risk of being treated for severe acne was reduced in AD patients (HR 0.59; 95% CI 0.47-0.73) and mainly among adolescents and young adults. The HR of acne increased with age reaching 1.41 (95% CI 1.07-1.87) for ages 30-39 years, and 2.07 (95% CI 1.42-3.03) for patients ≥40 years compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: The risk and severity of acne in AD patients change with age and sex, which may be used for the risk assessment of acne following treatment with Janus kinase 1 inhibitors.

Patient characteristics and disease burden of alopecia areata in the Danish Skin Cohort.

PURPOSE: Alopecia areata (AA) is a common disorder of patchy hair loss which carries a substantial psychological burden for patients. The current understanding of AA prevalence, disease course and burden is limited, and further research is needed to improve patient care. This prospective cohort of AA patients within the Danish Skin Cohort was established to provide data that can serve as a tool in future studies of for example, AA epidemiology and disease burden. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1494 patients with dermatologist-verified AA were included in the cohort. Patients were invited and included through electronic or phone-based questionnaires. Information regarding demographics, biometrics, lifestyle factors, skin type, AA onset and development, health-related quality of life and self-reported severity assessment was collected. FINDINGS TO DATE: The mean (SD) age of AA onset was 32.7 (17.6) years. The mean body mass index and history of cigarette smoking was comparable with the general population. The majority (92.5%) of participants were Caucasian. In total, 72.4% of patients received their diagnosis by a physician within a year after onset of symptoms, and 66.9% reported to still have symptoms of AA within the past year. A total of 12% reported to have a first-degree family member with AA. In total, 31.4% of patients were missing all or nearly all hairs on their scalp, 32.2% had no or barely no eyelashes and 36.2% had no or barely no eyebrow hairs. Overall, most patients (55.7%) did not experience irritated eyes, but 30% reported slight eye irritation and 47.2% reported no damage to finger nails or toenails. FUTURE PLANS: Observational studies regarding comorbidities, psychosocial burden of AA and efficacy of pharmacological interventions will be carried out and additional data will be linked from nationwide registries of routinely collected data. Furthermore, follow-up survey data will be added for longitudinal analyses.

Drug survival of biologics and novel immunomodulators for rheumatoid arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and psoriasis - A nationwide cohort study from the DANBIO and DERMBIO registries.

OBJECTIVE: Drug survival is an important proxy measure for effectiveness of treatments for inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and psoriasis. The objective of this study was to examine the real-life drug survival of biologics and novel small-molecule therapies across various disease entities such as RA, AxSpA, PsA, and psoriasis. METHODS: We performed a nationwide cohort study using the prospective nationwide registries DANBIO and DERMBIO, comprising all patients treated with biologics or novel small-molecule therapies for RA, AxSpA, PsA, and psoriasis between January 2015 through May 2021 (DANBIO) and November 2009 to November 2019 (DERMBIO). Drug survival was visualized using Kaplan-Meier curves, and Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate adjusted Hazard Ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for risk of discontinuing therapy. FINDINGS: The study comprised a total of 12,089 patients (17,903 treatment series), including 5,104 RA patients (7,867 series), 2,157 AxSpA patients (3,016 series3), 2,551 PsA patients (3,313 series), and 2,577 psoriasis patients (3,707 series). In confounder-adjusted models drug survival in RA was highest for rituximab followed by baricitinib, etanercept and tocilizumab respectively. For AxSpA, drug survival was high for golimumab compared to all other drugs, followed by secukinumab and etanercept and lowest for infliximab. For PsA, tofacitinib and infliximab had the lowest drug survival compared to all other drugs. All other drugs performed almost equally well with a tendency of a somewhat higher drug survival for golimumab, followed by secukinumab and ixekizumab. For psoriasis, drug survival was generally highest for guselkumab. INTERPRETATION: Differing treatment responses to drugs with various modes of action across RA, AxSpA, PsA and psoriasis emphasize that although these diseases have many overlaps in their pathogenesis, there is a need for an individualized treatment approach that considers the underlying disease, patient profile, and treatment history. FUNDING: None.

Limitations of Using Questionnaires for Assessing the Prevalence of Psoriasis and Atopic Dermatitis Among Adults.

IMPORTANCE: Questionnaire studies are important for estimating the prevalence of psoriasis and atopic dermatitis; however, validity among the adult population remains an important concern. OBJECTIVE: To examine the test-retest accuracy of questionnaires for measuring psoriasis and atopic dermatitis prevalence in an adult population. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This nationwide population-based cohort study administered questionnaires on psoriasis and atopic dermatitis to the same 2333 and 2312 randomly selected adults (≥18 years) in Denmark, respectively, at 2 different time points from May 15, 2018, to November 20, 2020. Data were analyzed from January 10 to January 28, 2021. To reduce the risk of participation bias, potential respondents were given information on the research project only after agreeing to participate. EXPOSURES: Participants were asked identical questions on psoriasis and atopic dermatitis in 2018 and in 2020. Responses were linked at the individual-level. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The test-retest reliability (expressed by Cohen κ). RESULTS: The psoriasis questionnaire was completed by 2333 (mean [SD] age, 55.1 [16.2] years; 1338 [57.4%] women) participants in 2018 and in 2020. The atopic dermatitis questionnaire was completed by 2312 (mean [SD] age, 55.0 [16.2] years; 1326 [57.4%] women) participants in 2018 and in 2020. Among participants reporting a history of psoriasis, agreement between individual responses was high (κ = 0.7558); however, among those reporting a history of atopic dermatitis, agreement was low (κ = 0.4395). For psoriasis, prevalence changed from 7.8% to 8.0%; for atopic dermatitis, from 8.2% to 7.6%. Of participants who in 2018 reported dermatologist-diagnosed atopic dermatitis, 36.9% claimed in the 2020 questionnaire that they had never had atopic dermatitis. Analyses revealed substantial agreement for psoriasis responses across all age strata; for atopic dermatitis responses, the κ declined with increasing age, to 0.2613 for participants 65 or older. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This cohort study found considerable agreement between responses over time when participants were asked about a history of psoriasis. When asked about a history of atopic dermatitis, responses over time were inconsistent. This inconsistency suggests that questionnaires on a history of atopic dermatitis will confer considerable risk of bias and misclassification.