Systemic Therapies for Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis: Expert Perspectives in Practice

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects around 13% of children and 7% of adults in the US. It can have a significant impact on the quality of life (QoL) of affected individuals due to pruritus and the visibility of lesions on the skin. AD is increasingly recognized as a systemic disease, since dysregulation of the adaptive and innate immune systems plays a key role in the underlying disease pathogenesis, which has important implications for how the condition is treated. Patients with moderate-to-severe disease who have failed to achieve disease control may benefit from systemic immunomodulatory treatments. Recently published expert perspectives outlined recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of moderate-to-severe AD in adults, reflecting evidence-based, practical recommendations to support allergists and dermatologists in selecting appropriate treatment in the era of biologic therapies. To help clinicians understand how these practical recommendations can be implemented into clinical practice, we describe two real life case studies of adult patients with AD. In these case studies, we demonstrate how AD severity, treatment response, and treatment failure can be assessed, and the role of emerging systemic treatments in the management of moderate-to-severe AD. J Drugs Dermatol. 2019;18(2):122-129.

Atopic Dermatitis in America Study: A Cross-Sectional Study Examining the Prevalence and Disease Burden of Atopic Dermatitis in the US Adult Population.

Population-based estimates on the prevalence of atopic dermatitis in adults vary widely. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of atopic dermatitis in the population of the United States, the distribution of disease severity, and its impact on health-related quality of life. Among 1,278 participating adults, the prevalence (95% confidence interval) of atopic dermatitis was 7.3% (5.9-8.8). Overall, 60.1% (56.1-64.1) of participants were classified as having mild, 28.9% (25.3-32.7) as having moderate, and 11% as having severe (8.6-13.7) disease. Patients with atopic dermatitis and those with more severe disease had higher scores in the dermatology life quality index (mean [standard deviation] for AD patients = 4.71 [6.44] vs. control individuals = 0.97 [2.12]) (P < 0.001) and the hospital anxiety (mean [standard deviation] for AD patients = 7.03 [4.80] vs. control individuals = 4.73 [4.8]) and depression (mean, [standard deviation] for AD patients = 5.83 [4.54] vs. control individuals = 3.62 [3.61]) scales, indicating a worse impact on quality of life and an increased likelihood of anxiety or depression. Based on our prevalence estimates, 16.5 million adults would have a diagnosis of atopic dermatitis, with 6.6 million meeting criteria for moderate to severe disease. Our study confirms the high prevalence and disease burden of atopic dermatitis in this population.

Major Comorbidities of Atopic Dermatitis: Beyond Allergic Disorders.

The consequences of atopic dermatitis reach beyond the skin and past childhood. Patients with atopic dermatitis are at risk of developing allergic comorbidities, but less is known about the associations between atopic dermatitis and non-allergic conditions. Understanding these non-allergic comorbidities has the potential to improve patient outcomes and to help mitigate the cost and burdens associated with these conditions. Atopic dermatitis is associated with cutaneous bacterial infections, more severe forms/courses of cutaneous viral infections, and extra-cutaneous infections. Atopic dermatitis is also associated with several mental health comorbidities particularly attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and depression. Data are largely inconsistent for specific cancers, but atopic dermatitis appears to protect against malignancy overall; severe long-term atopic dermatitis is associated with adult lymphomas. Atopic dermatitis may also be associated with obesity, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune disease, particularly alopecia areata and gastrointestinal immune-mediated disorders. Although the causative mechanisms underlying these associations are poorly understood, treating physicians should be aware of associations in seeking to alleviate the burden for patients with atopic dermatitis.

The Burden of Atopic Dermatitis: Summary of a Report for the National Eczema Association.

To assess the patient-level and societal burden of atopic dermatitis, we comprehensively reviewed the literature related to quality of life, social, economic, academic, and occupational impacts. Atopic dermatitis has profound impacts on patient and family quality of life. A conservative estimate of the annual costs of atopic dermatitis in the United States is $5.297 billion (in 2015 USD). People with atopic dermatitis may change their occupation because of their skin disease. Research gaps include quality of life assessments outside of tertiary care centers, impacts on partners and families of adult patients, and updated comprehensive cost estimates.

Translating Atopic Dermatitis Management Guidelines Into Practice for Primary Care Providers.

Atopic dermatitis affects a substantial number of children, many of whom seek initial treatment from their pediatrician or other primary care provider. Approximately two-thirds of these patients have mild disease and can be adequately managed at the primary care level. However, recent treatment guidelines are written primarily for use by specialists and lack certain elements that would make them more useful to primary care providers. This article evaluates these recent treatment guidelines in terms of evaluation criteria, treatment recommendations, usability, accessibility, and applicability to nonspecialists and integrates them with clinical evidence to present a streamlined severity-based treatment model for the management of a majority of atopic dermatitis cases. Because each patient's situation is unique, individualization of treatment plans is critical as is efficient communication and implementation of the plan with patients and caregivers. Specifically, practical suggestions for individualizing, optimizing, implementing, and communicating treatment plans such as choosing a moisturizer formulation, avoiding common triggers, educating patients/caregivers, providing written treatment plans, and scheduling physician follow-up are provided along with a discussion of available resources for patients/caregivers and providers.