Higher Cardiovascular Risk Seen With Eczema

FRIDAY, Jan. 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Adults with eczema may also have an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, according to a study published online Jan. 8 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Jonathan Silverberg, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., and Philip Greenland, M.D., of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, and colleagues collected data on 61,682 adults aged 18 to 85. These adults were part of the 2010 and 2012 U.S. National Health Interview Surveys.

The researchers found that people with eczema were 54 percent more likely to be severely obese than those without the skin condition. People with eczema were also 48 percent more likely to have hypertension. They were also about one-third more likely to have high cholesterol than those without eczema. Eczema was strongly linked with sleep difficulties. People with eczema were also more likely to have prediabetes or diabetes than people without eczema.

The researchers also found that people with eczema smoke and drink more, are more likely to be obese, and are less likely to exercise than adults who don't have the disease. "Patients and doctors can work together to eliminate these bad behaviors and reduce the risk for heart disease and stroke," Silverberg told HealthDay.

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