Key clinical point: Lower levels of caprylate and acetate in breast milk could be risk factors for infantile atopic dermatitis (AD) in exclusively breastfed infants.

Major finding: Caprylate (P = .034) and acetate (P = .002) levels were significantly lower in breast milk for infants with vs. without AD, with caprylate (P = .021) and acetate (P = .015) levels in breast milk being the factors significantly associated with the presence of infantile AD.

Study details: This prospective, observational study included 94 2- to 4-month-old exclusively breastfed infants. In this group 47 infants were diagnosed with mild (n = 17), moderate (n = 25), or severe (n = 5) AD and 47 infants without AD formed the control group.

Disclosures: This study was supported by National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. The authors declared no conflict of interests.

Source: Wang LC et al. Lower caprylate and acetate levels in the breast milk is associated with atopic dermatitis in infancy. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2022;33(2) e13744 (Feb 21). Doi:  10.1111/pai.13744

Key clinical point: Lower levels of caprylate and acetate in breast milk could be risk factors for infantile atopic dermatitis (AD) in exclusively breastfed infants.

Major finding: Caprylate (P = .034) and acetate (P = .002) levels were significantly lower in breast milk for infants with vs. without AD, with caprylate (P = .021) and acetate (P = .015) levels in breast milk being the factors significantly associated with the presence of infantile AD.

Study details: This prospective, observational study included 94 2- to 4-month-old exclusively breastfed infants. In this group 47 infants were diagnosed with mild (n = 17), moderate (n = 25), or severe (n = 5) AD and 47 infants without AD formed the control group.

Disclosures: This study was supported by National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. The authors declared no conflict of interests.

Source: Wang LC et al. Lower caprylate and acetate levels in the breast milk is associated with atopic dermatitis in infancy. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2022;33(2) e13744 (Feb 21). Doi:  10.1111/pai.13744

Key clinical point: Lower levels of caprylate and acetate in breast milk could be risk factors for infantile atopic dermatitis (AD) in exclusively breastfed infants.

Major finding: Caprylate (P = .034) and acetate (P = .002) levels were significantly lower in breast milk for infants with vs. without AD, with caprylate (P = .021) and acetate (P = .015) levels in breast milk being the factors significantly associated with the presence of infantile AD.

Study details: This prospective, observational study included 94 2- to 4-month-old exclusively breastfed infants. In this group 47 infants were diagnosed with mild (n = 17), moderate (n = 25), or severe (n = 5) AD and 47 infants without AD formed the control group.

Disclosures: This study was supported by National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. The authors declared no conflict of interests.

Source: Wang LC et al. Lower caprylate and acetate levels in the breast milk is associated with atopic dermatitis in infancy. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2022;33(2) e13744 (Feb 21). Doi:  10.1111/pai.13744

Key clinical point: Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) who initiated dupilumab were at a 2-fold higher risk of developing conjunctivitis within 6 months of treatment initiation vs. those who initiated other systemic therapies, with comorbid asthma further increasing the risk.

Major finding: The risk of developing conjunctivitis within 6 months of treatment initiation was higher with dupilumab vs. methotrexate (relative risk [RR] 2.12; 95% CI 1.56-2.91), mycophenolate (RR 2.43; 95% CI 1.32-4.47), or cyclosporine (RR 1.83; 95% CI 1.05-3.20). Comorbid asthma could be a risk factor for conjunctivitis in dupilumab initiators (RR 2.86; 95% CI 1.24-6.60).

Study details: This population-based longitudinal study included 5,004,117 patients with AD who newly initiated dupilumab or methotrexate (cohort 1, n = 5,770), dupilumab or mycophenolate (cohort 2, n = 4,402), and dupilumab or cyclosporine (cohort 3, n = 4,238).

Disclosures: This study was supported by the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. The authors declared serving as advisors, speakers, consultants, or principal investigators or receiving funding and grants from several sources.

Source: Schneeweiss MC et al. Incidence of bacterial and nonbacterial conjunctivitis in patients with atopic dermatitis treated with dupilumab: A US multidatabase cohort study. Dermatitis. 2022 (Feb 15). Doi: 10.1097/DER.0000000000000843

Key clinical point: Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) who initiated dupilumab were at a 2-fold higher risk of developing conjunctivitis within 6 months of treatment initiation vs. those who initiated other systemic therapies, with comorbid asthma further increasing the risk.

Major finding: The risk of developing conjunctivitis within 6 months of treatment initiation was higher with dupilumab vs. methotrexate (relative risk [RR] 2.12; 95% CI 1.56-2.91), mycophenolate (RR 2.43; 95% CI 1.32-4.47), or cyclosporine (RR 1.83; 95% CI 1.05-3.20). Comorbid asthma could be a risk factor for conjunctivitis in dupilumab initiators (RR 2.86; 95% CI 1.24-6.60).

Study details: This population-based longitudinal study included 5,004,117 patients with AD who newly initiated dupilumab or methotrexate (cohort 1, n = 5,770), dupilumab or mycophenolate (cohort 2, n = 4,402), and dupilumab or cyclosporine (cohort 3, n = 4,238).

Disclosures: This study was supported by the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. The authors declared serving as advisors, speakers, consultants, or principal investigators or receiving funding and grants from several sources.

Source: Schneeweiss MC et al. Incidence of bacterial and nonbacterial conjunctivitis in patients with atopic dermatitis treated with dupilumab: A US multidatabase cohort study. Dermatitis. 2022 (Feb 15). Doi: 10.1097/DER.0000000000000843

Key clinical point: Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) who initiated dupilumab were at a 2-fold higher risk of developing conjunctivitis within 6 months of treatment initiation vs. those who initiated other systemic therapies, with comorbid asthma further increasing the risk.

Major finding: The risk of developing conjunctivitis within 6 months of treatment initiation was higher with dupilumab vs. methotrexate (relative risk [RR] 2.12; 95% CI 1.56-2.91), mycophenolate (RR 2.43; 95% CI 1.32-4.47), or cyclosporine (RR 1.83; 95% CI 1.05-3.20). Comorbid asthma could be a risk factor for conjunctivitis in dupilumab initiators (RR 2.86; 95% CI 1.24-6.60).

Study details: This population-based longitudinal study included 5,004,117 patients with AD who newly initiated dupilumab or methotrexate (cohort 1, n = 5,770), dupilumab or mycophenolate (cohort 2, n = 4,402), and dupilumab or cyclosporine (cohort 3, n = 4,238).

Disclosures: This study was supported by the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. The authors declared serving as advisors, speakers, consultants, or principal investigators or receiving funding and grants from several sources.

Source: Schneeweiss MC et al. Incidence of bacterial and nonbacterial conjunctivitis in patients with atopic dermatitis treated with dupilumab: A US multidatabase cohort study. Dermatitis. 2022 (Feb 15). Doi: 10.1097/DER.0000000000000843

Key clinical point: Dupilumab effectively reduced signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis (AD) along with a tolerable safety profile in a real-world setting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Major finding: At least 75% improvement in the Eczema Area and Severity Index was achieved by 66.6%, 89.5%, and 95.8% patients at 16 weeks, 1 year, and 2 years of dupilumab therapy, respectively, with persistence rates being >90% throughout the 2 years of therapy. The most reported adverse events were infections, with a mild course of COVID-19 being the most reported (4.7%), followed by ocular complications (2.5%).

Study details: Findings are from a retrospective, multicenter study including 360 adults with severe AD who received ≥1 dose of dupilumab.

Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. Some authors declared serving as a consultant, speaker, or investigator for several sources.

Source: Kojanova M et al. Dupilumab for the treatment of atopic dermatitis: real-world data from the Czech Republic BIOREP registry. J Dermatolog Treat. 2022 (Feb 21). Doi: 10.1080/09546634.2022.2043545

Key clinical point: Dupilumab effectively reduced signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis (AD) along with a tolerable safety profile in a real-world setting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Major finding: At least 75% improvement in the Eczema Area and Severity Index was achieved by 66.6%, 89.5%, and 95.8% patients at 16 weeks, 1 year, and 2 years of dupilumab therapy, respectively, with persistence rates being >90% throughout the 2 years of therapy. The most reported adverse events were infections, with a mild course of COVID-19 being the most reported (4.7%), followed by ocular complications (2.5%).

Study details: Findings are from a retrospective, multicenter study including 360 adults with severe AD who received ≥1 dose of dupilumab.

Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. Some authors declared serving as a consultant, speaker, or investigator for several sources.

Source: Kojanova M et al. Dupilumab for the treatment of atopic dermatitis: real-world data from the Czech Republic BIOREP registry. J Dermatolog Treat. 2022 (Feb 21). Doi: 10.1080/09546634.2022.2043545

Key clinical point: Dupilumab effectively reduced signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis (AD) along with a tolerable safety profile in a real-world setting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Major finding: At least 75% improvement in the Eczema Area and Severity Index was achieved by 66.6%, 89.5%, and 95.8% patients at 16 weeks, 1 year, and 2 years of dupilumab therapy, respectively, with persistence rates being >90% throughout the 2 years of therapy. The most reported adverse events were infections, with a mild course of COVID-19 being the most reported (4.7%), followed by ocular complications (2.5%).

Study details: Findings are from a retrospective, multicenter study including 360 adults with severe AD who received ≥1 dose of dupilumab.

Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. Some authors declared serving as a consultant, speaker, or investigator for several sources.

Source: Kojanova M et al. Dupilumab for the treatment of atopic dermatitis: real-world data from the Czech Republic BIOREP registry. J Dermatolog Treat. 2022 (Feb 21). Doi: 10.1080/09546634.2022.2043545

Key clinical point: Risk for acne was comparable in adolescents and adults with atopic dermatitis (AD) and matched reference individuals from the general population; however, the risk varied with age and sex, with males and older patients appearing to be at higher risk.

Major finding: Although the overall risk for acne was similar among patients with AD vs. reference individuals (hazard ratio [HR] 0.96; P = .4623), the risk was significantly higher in males with AD (HR 1.22; P = .0234) and in patients aged 30-39 (HR 1.41; P = .0156) and ≥40 (HR 2.07; P = .0002) years.

Study details: Findings are from a prospective cohort study including 6,600 adults and adolescents with AD matched with 66,000 reference individuals without AD.

Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. The authors declared serving as an advisory board member, investigator, speaker, consultant, or receiving honoraria, fees, research funding, and research support from several sources.

Source: Thyssen JP et al. Incidence, prevalence and risk of acne in adolescent and adult patients with atopic dermatitis: a matched cohort study. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2022 (Feb 26). Doi: 10.1111/jdv.18027

Key clinical point: Risk for acne was comparable in adolescents and adults with atopic dermatitis (AD) and matched reference individuals from the general population; however, the risk varied with age and sex, with males and older patients appearing to be at higher risk.

Major finding: Although the overall risk for acne was similar among patients with AD vs. reference individuals (hazard ratio [HR] 0.96; P = .4623), the risk was significantly higher in males with AD (HR 1.22; P = .0234) and in patients aged 30-39 (HR 1.41; P = .0156) and ≥40 (HR 2.07; P = .0002) years.

Study details: Findings are from a prospective cohort study including 6,600 adults and adolescents with AD matched with 66,000 reference individuals without AD.

Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. The authors declared serving as an advisory board member, investigator, speaker, consultant, or receiving honoraria, fees, research funding, and research support from several sources.

Source: Thyssen JP et al. Incidence, prevalence and risk of acne in adolescent and adult patients with atopic dermatitis: a matched cohort study. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2022 (Feb 26). Doi: 10.1111/jdv.18027

Key clinical point: Risk for acne was comparable in adolescents and adults with atopic dermatitis (AD) and matched reference individuals from the general population; however, the risk varied with age and sex, with males and older patients appearing to be at higher risk.

Major finding: Although the overall risk for acne was similar among patients with AD vs. reference individuals (hazard ratio [HR] 0.96; P = .4623), the risk was significantly higher in males with AD (HR 1.22; P = .0234) and in patients aged 30-39 (HR 1.41; P = .0156) and ≥40 (HR 2.07; P = .0002) years.

Study details: Findings are from a prospective cohort study including 6,600 adults and adolescents with AD matched with 66,000 reference individuals without AD.

Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. The authors declared serving as an advisory board member, investigator, speaker, consultant, or receiving honoraria, fees, research funding, and research support from several sources.

Source: Thyssen JP et al. Incidence, prevalence and risk of acne in adolescent and adult patients with atopic dermatitis: a matched cohort study. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2022 (Feb 26). Doi: 10.1111/jdv.18027

Key clinical point: A significant proportion of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) experience sleep disturbance (SD), which usually improves overtime; however, patients with moderate-to-severe AD are more likely to experience a persistent SD course.

Major finding: At least 3 nights of SD were reported by 34.2% of patients at baseline; however only 12.3% of patients reported persistent SD at the first and second follow-ups, and only 11.5% of patients with severe SD at baseline experienced persistent SD scores at the second follow-up. Severe/very severe AD vs. mild AD was a significant predictor of increased nights of SD by eczema (adjusted odds ratio 16.20; P < .0001).

Study details: This prospective, dermatology practice-based study included 1,295 patients with mild (40.5%), moderate (35.1%), or severe/very severe (24.4%) AD.

Disclosures: This study was supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Dermatology Foundation, and an unrestricted research grant from Galderma. R Chavda and S Gabriel declared being employees of and JI Silverberg declared being a consultant for Galderma.

Source: Manjunath J et al. longitudinal course of sleep disturbance and relationship with itch in adult atopic dermatitis in clinical practice. Dermatitis. 2022 (Mar 3). Doi: 10.1097/DER.0000000000000859

Key clinical point: A significant proportion of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) experience sleep disturbance (SD), which usually improves overtime; however, patients with moderate-to-severe AD are more likely to experience a persistent SD course.

Major finding: At least 3 nights of SD were reported by 34.2% of patients at baseline; however only 12.3% of patients reported persistent SD at the first and second follow-ups, and only 11.5% of patients with severe SD at baseline experienced persistent SD scores at the second follow-up. Severe/very severe AD vs. mild AD was a significant predictor of increased nights of SD by eczema (adjusted odds ratio 16.20; P < .0001).

Study details: This prospective, dermatology practice-based study included 1,295 patients with mild (40.5%), moderate (35.1%), or severe/very severe (24.4%) AD.

Disclosures: This study was supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Dermatology Foundation, and an unrestricted research grant from Galderma. R Chavda and S Gabriel declared being employees of and JI Silverberg declared being a consultant for Galderma.

Source: Manjunath J et al. longitudinal course of sleep disturbance and relationship with itch in adult atopic dermatitis in clinical practice. Dermatitis. 2022 (Mar 3). Doi: 10.1097/DER.0000000000000859

Key clinical point: A significant proportion of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) experience sleep disturbance (SD), which usually improves overtime; however, patients with moderate-to-severe AD are more likely to experience a persistent SD course.

Major finding: At least 3 nights of SD were reported by 34.2% of patients at baseline; however only 12.3% of patients reported persistent SD at the first and second follow-ups, and only 11.5% of patients with severe SD at baseline experienced persistent SD scores at the second follow-up. Severe/very severe AD vs. mild AD was a significant predictor of increased nights of SD by eczema (adjusted odds ratio 16.20; P < .0001).

Study details: This prospective, dermatology practice-based study included 1,295 patients with mild (40.5%), moderate (35.1%), or severe/very severe (24.4%) AD.

Disclosures: This study was supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Dermatology Foundation, and an unrestricted research grant from Galderma. R Chavda and S Gabriel declared being employees of and JI Silverberg declared being a consultant for Galderma.

Source: Manjunath J et al. longitudinal course of sleep disturbance and relationship with itch in adult atopic dermatitis in clinical practice. Dermatitis. 2022 (Mar 3). Doi: 10.1097/DER.0000000000000859

Key clinical point: Atopic dermatitis (AD) was negatively associated with some serum lipids, indicating AD being intrinsically protective for dyslipidemia.

Major finding: AD was significantly associated with lower levels of total cholesterol (β −0.004; P < .001), triglycerides (β −0.006; P = .006), and low-density lipoprotein (β −0.004; P < .001) but not with high-density lipoprotein (P = .794).

Study details: The data come from a large-scale, cross-sectional study including 13,822 patients with AD and 67,896 patients with asthma.

Disclosures: This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Project of China Precision Medicine Initiative and the Program of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities. The authors declared no conflict of interests.

Source: Tang Z et al. Association between atopic dermatitis, asthma, and serum lipids: A UK Biobank based observational study and Mendelian randomization analysis. Front Med. 2022 (Feb 21). Doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.810092

Key clinical point: Atopic dermatitis (AD) was negatively associated with some serum lipids, indicating AD being intrinsically protective for dyslipidemia.

Major finding: AD was significantly associated with lower levels of total cholesterol (β −0.004; P < .001), triglycerides (β −0.006; P = .006), and low-density lipoprotein (β −0.004; P < .001) but not with high-density lipoprotein (P = .794).

Study details: The data come from a large-scale, cross-sectional study including 13,822 patients with AD and 67,896 patients with asthma.

Disclosures: This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Project of China Precision Medicine Initiative and the Program of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities. The authors declared no conflict of interests.

Source: Tang Z et al. Association between atopic dermatitis, asthma, and serum lipids: A UK Biobank based observational study and Mendelian randomization analysis. Front Med. 2022 (Feb 21). Doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.810092

Key clinical point: Atopic dermatitis (AD) was negatively associated with some serum lipids, indicating AD being intrinsically protective for dyslipidemia.

Major finding: AD was significantly associated with lower levels of total cholesterol (β −0.004; P < .001), triglycerides (β −0.006; P = .006), and low-density lipoprotein (β −0.004; P < .001) but not with high-density lipoprotein (P = .794).

Study details: The data come from a large-scale, cross-sectional study including 13,822 patients with AD and 67,896 patients with asthma.

Disclosures: This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Project of China Precision Medicine Initiative and the Program of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities. The authors declared no conflict of interests.

Source: Tang Z et al. Association between atopic dermatitis, asthma, and serum lipids: A UK Biobank based observational study and Mendelian randomization analysis. Front Med. 2022 (Feb 21). Doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.810092

Key clinical point: A 4-week treatment with a test cream (TC) containing only 2% urea and 20% glycerol significantly reduced sodium lauryl sulphate-induced skin irritation in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) compared with a no treatment control (NTC) and two reference creams.

Major finding: After 28 days, there was a significant reduction in transepidermal water loss with TC vs. NTC (P < .001), paraffin cream (P < .001), and glycerol cream (P = .021); objective redness was lower with TC vs. NTC (P = .002) and paraffin cream (P < .001). The TC was well tolerated with no evidence of stinging or redness.

Study details: Findings are from a phase 2 trial including 49 adults with AD who were randomly assigned to receive either a TC containing urea and glycerol, a glycerol-containing moisturizer, a simple paraffin cream containing no humectant, or NTC.

Disclosures: This study was funded by Perrigo Nordic. The authors declared serving as consultants, investigators, or advisory board members for and receiving research grants from several sources. Three authors declared being employees of Perrigo Nordic.

Source: Danby SG et al. Different types of emollient cream exhibit diverse physiological effects on the skin barrier in adults with atopic dermatitis. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2022 (Feb 15). Doi:  10.1111/ced.15141

Key clinical point: A 4-week treatment with a test cream (TC) containing only 2% urea and 20% glycerol significantly reduced sodium lauryl sulphate-induced skin irritation in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) compared with a no treatment control (NTC) and two reference creams.

Major finding: After 28 days, there was a significant reduction in transepidermal water loss with TC vs. NTC (P < .001), paraffin cream (P < .001), and glycerol cream (P = .021); objective redness was lower with TC vs. NTC (P = .002) and paraffin cream (P < .001). The TC was well tolerated with no evidence of stinging or redness.

Study details: Findings are from a phase 2 trial including 49 adults with AD who were randomly assigned to receive either a TC containing urea and glycerol, a glycerol-containing moisturizer, a simple paraffin cream containing no humectant, or NTC.

Disclosures: This study was funded by Perrigo Nordic. The authors declared serving as consultants, investigators, or advisory board members for and receiving research grants from several sources. Three authors declared being employees of Perrigo Nordic.

Source: Danby SG et al. Different types of emollient cream exhibit diverse physiological effects on the skin barrier in adults with atopic dermatitis. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2022 (Feb 15). Doi:  10.1111/ced.15141

Key clinical point: A 4-week treatment with a test cream (TC) containing only 2% urea and 20% glycerol significantly reduced sodium lauryl sulphate-induced skin irritation in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) compared with a no treatment control (NTC) and two reference creams.

Major finding: After 28 days, there was a significant reduction in transepidermal water loss with TC vs. NTC (P < .001), paraffin cream (P < .001), and glycerol cream (P = .021); objective redness was lower with TC vs. NTC (P = .002) and paraffin cream (P < .001). The TC was well tolerated with no evidence of stinging or redness.

Study details: Findings are from a phase 2 trial including 49 adults with AD who were randomly assigned to receive either a TC containing urea and glycerol, a glycerol-containing moisturizer, a simple paraffin cream containing no humectant, or NTC.

Disclosures: This study was funded by Perrigo Nordic. The authors declared serving as consultants, investigators, or advisory board members for and receiving research grants from several sources. Three authors declared being employees of Perrigo Nordic.

Source: Danby SG et al. Different types of emollient cream exhibit diverse physiological effects on the skin barrier in adults with atopic dermatitis. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2022 (Feb 15). Doi:  10.1111/ced.15141

Key clinical point: Upadacitinib showed sustained efficacy through 52 weeks in adults and adolescents with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) along with an acceptable safety profile.

Major finding: At week 52, a 75% improvement in Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI75) was achieved by 82.0% and 79.1% of patients continuing 15 mg upadacitinib and 84.9% and 84.3% of patients continuing 30 mg upadacitinib in Measure Up 1 and Measure Up 2, respectively. More than 80% of patients who switched from placebo to upadacitinib at week 16 achieved EASI75 at week 52. No new adverse events were reported.

Study details: Findings are from a 52-week analysis of two ongoing phase 3 trials, Measure Up 1 and Measure Up 2, including 1,609 adults and adolescents with moderate-to-severe AD who were randomly assigned to receive 15 mg upadacitinib once daily, 30 mg upadacitinib, or placebo.

Disclosures: This study was funded by AbbVie. Three authors reported ties with various sources, including AbbVie, with some receiving payments or personal fees and being employees or stockholders of AbbVie.

Source: Simpson EL et al. Efficacy and safety of upadacitinib in patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis: Analysis of follow-up data from the Measure Up 1 and Measure Up 2 randomized clinical trials. JAMA Dermatol. 2022 (Mar 9). Doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2022.0029

Key clinical point: Upadacitinib showed sustained efficacy through 52 weeks in adults and adolescents with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) along with an acceptable safety profile.

Major finding: At week 52, a 75% improvement in Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI75) was achieved by 82.0% and 79.1% of patients continuing 15 mg upadacitinib and 84.9% and 84.3% of patients continuing 30 mg upadacitinib in Measure Up 1 and Measure Up 2, respectively. More than 80% of patients who switched from placebo to upadacitinib at week 16 achieved EASI75 at week 52. No new adverse events were reported.

Study details: Findings are from a 52-week analysis of two ongoing phase 3 trials, Measure Up 1 and Measure Up 2, including 1,609 adults and adolescents with moderate-to-severe AD who were randomly assigned to receive 15 mg upadacitinib once daily, 30 mg upadacitinib, or placebo.

Disclosures: This study was funded by AbbVie. Three authors reported ties with various sources, including AbbVie, with some receiving payments or personal fees and being employees or stockholders of AbbVie.

Source: Simpson EL et al. Efficacy and safety of upadacitinib in patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis: Analysis of follow-up data from the Measure Up 1 and Measure Up 2 randomized clinical trials. JAMA Dermatol. 2022 (Mar 9). Doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2022.0029

Key clinical point: Upadacitinib showed sustained efficacy through 52 weeks in adults and adolescents with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) along with an acceptable safety profile.

Major finding: At week 52, a 75% improvement in Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI75) was achieved by 82.0% and 79.1% of patients continuing 15 mg upadacitinib and 84.9% and 84.3% of patients continuing 30 mg upadacitinib in Measure Up 1 and Measure Up 2, respectively. More than 80% of patients who switched from placebo to upadacitinib at week 16 achieved EASI75 at week 52. No new adverse events were reported.

Study details: Findings are from a 52-week analysis of two ongoing phase 3 trials, Measure Up 1 and Measure Up 2, including 1,609 adults and adolescents with moderate-to-severe AD who were randomly assigned to receive 15 mg upadacitinib once daily, 30 mg upadacitinib, or placebo.

Disclosures: This study was funded by AbbVie. Three authors reported ties with various sources, including AbbVie, with some receiving payments or personal fees and being employees or stockholders of AbbVie.

Source: Simpson EL et al. Efficacy and safety of upadacitinib in patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis: Analysis of follow-up data from the Measure Up 1 and Measure Up 2 randomized clinical trials. JAMA Dermatol. 2022 (Mar 9). Doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2022.0029

Some myths never die. The idea of taking 10,000 steps a day is one of them. What started as a catchy marketing slogan has become a mantra for anyone promoting physical activity. But the 10,000-step target is arbitrary and ignores a fundamental truth of lifestyle medicine: When it comes to physical activity, anything is better than nothing.

It all began in 1965 when the Japanese company Yamasa Tokei began selling a new step-counter which they called manpo-kei (ten-thousand steps meter). They coupled the product launch with an ad campaign – “Let’s walk 10,000 steps a day!” – in a bid to encourage physical activity. The threshold was always somewhat arbitrary, but the idea of 10,000 steps cemented itself in the public consciousness from that point forward.

iStock/thinkstockphotos

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Some myths never die. The idea of taking 10,000 steps a day is one of them. What started as a catchy marketing slogan has become a mantra for anyone promoting physical activity. But the 10,000-step target is arbitrary and ignores a fundamental truth of lifestyle medicine: When it comes to physical activity, anything is better than nothing.

It all began in 1965 when the Japanese company Yamasa Tokei began selling a new step-counter which they called manpo-kei (ten-thousand steps meter). They coupled the product launch with an ad campaign – “Let’s walk 10,000 steps a day!” – in a bid to encourage physical activity. The threshold was always somewhat arbitrary, but the idea of 10,000 steps cemented itself in the public consciousness from that point forward.

iStock/thinkstockphotos

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Some myths never die. The idea of taking 10,000 steps a day is one of them. What started as a catchy marketing slogan has become a mantra for anyone promoting physical activity. But the 10,000-step target is arbitrary and ignores a fundamental truth of lifestyle medicine: When it comes to physical activity, anything is better than nothing.

It all began in 1965 when the Japanese company Yamasa Tokei began selling a new step-counter which they called manpo-kei (ten-thousand steps meter). They coupled the product launch with an ad campaign – “Let’s walk 10,000 steps a day!” – in a bid to encourage physical activity. The threshold was always somewhat arbitrary, but the idea of 10,000 steps cemented itself in the public consciousness from that point forward.

iStock/thinkstockphotos

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Misaligned eyes in children are associated with an increased prevalence of mental illness, results of a large study suggest.

Investigators found children with strabismus or “crossed eyes” had up to a twofold increased risk of developing anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, compared with their counterparts without the eye condition.

“Psychiatrists who have a patient with depression or anxiety and notice that patient also has strabismus might think about the link between those two conditions and refer that patient,” study investigator Stacy L. Pineles, MD, professor, department of ophthalmology, University of California, Los Angeles, told this news organization.

University of California at Los Angeles

A common condition

Strabismus, a condition in which the eyes don’t line up or are “crossed,” is one of the most common eye diseases in children, with some estimates suggesting it affects more than 1.5 million American youth.

Patients with strabismus have problems making eye contact and are affected socially and functionally, said Dr. Pineles. They’re often met with a negative bias, as shown by children’s responses to pictures of faces with and without strabismus, she said.

There is a signal from previous research suggesting that strabismus is linked to a higher risk of mental illness. However, most of these studies were small and had relatively homogenous populations, said Dr. Pineles.

The new study includes over 12 million children (mean age, 8.0 years) from a private health insurance claims database that represents diverse races and ethnicities as well as geographic regions across the United States.

The sample included 352,636 children with strabismus and 11,652,553 children with no diagnosed eye disease who served as controls. Most participants were White (51.6%), came from a family with an annual household income of $40,000 or more (51.0%), had point-of-service insurance (68.7%), and had at least one comorbid condition (64.5%).

The study evaluated five mental illness diagnoses. These included anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, substance use or addictive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

Overall, children with strabismus had a higher prevalence of all these illnesses, with the exception of substance use disorder.

After adjusting for age, sex, race and ethnicity, census region, education level of caregiver, family net worth, and presence of at least one comorbid condition, the odds ratios among those with versus without strabismus were: 2.01 (95% confidence interval, 1.99-2.04; P < .001) for anxiety disorder, 1.83 (95% CI, 1.76-1.90; P < .001) for schizophrenia, 1.64 (95% CI, 1.59-1.70; P < .001) for bipolar disorder, and 1.61 (95% CI, 1.59-1.63; P < .001) for depressive disorder.

Substance use disorder had a negative unadjusted association with strabismus, but after adjustment for confounders, the association was not significant (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.97-1.02; P = .48).

Dr. Pineles noted that the study participants, who were all under age 19, may be too young to have substance use disorders.

The results for substance use disorders provided something of an “internal control” and reaffirmed results for the other four conditions, said Dr. Pineles.

“When you do research on such a large database, you’re very likely to find significant associations; the dataset is so large that even very small differences become statistically significant. It was interesting that not everything gave us a positive association.”

Researchers divided the strabismus group into those with esotropia, where the eyes turn inward (52.2%), exotropia, where they turn outward (46.3%), and hypertropia, where one eye wanders upward (12.5%). Investigators found that all three conditions were associated with increased risk of anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, bipolar disorders, and schizophrenia.

Investigators note that rates in the current study were lower than in previous studies, which showed that children with congenital esotropia were 2.6 times more likely to receive a mental health diagnosis, and children with intermittent exotropia were 2.7 times more likely to receive a mental health diagnosis.

“It is probable that our study found a lower risk than these studies, because our study was cross-sectional and claims based, whereas these studies observed the children to early adulthood and were based on medical records,” the investigators note.

It’s impossible to determine from this study how strabismus is connected to mental illness. However, Dr. Pineles believes depression and anxiety might be tied to strabismus via teasing, which affects self-esteem, although genetics could also play a role. For conditions such as schizophrenia, a shared genetic link with strabismus might be more likely, she added.

“Schizophrenia is a pretty severe diagnosis, so just being teased or having poor self-esteem is probably not enough” to develop schizophrenia.

Based on her clinical experience, Dr. Pineles said that realigning the eyes of patients with milder forms of depression or anxiety “definitely anecdotally helps these patients a lot.”

Dr. Pineles and colleagues have another paper in press that examines mental illnesses and other serious eye disorders in children and shows similar findings, she said.
 

Implications for insurance coverage?

In an accompanying editorial, experts, led by S. Grace Prakalapakorn, MD, department of ophthalmology and pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C., noted the exclusion of children covered under government insurance or without insurance is an important study limitation, largely because socioeconomic status is a risk factor for poor mental health.   

The editorialists point to studies showing that surgical correction of ocular misalignments may be associated with reduced anxiety and depression. However, health insurance coverage for such surgical correction “may not be available owing to a misconception that these conditions are ‘cosmetic’.”  

Evidence of the broader association of strabismus with physical and mental health “may play an important role in shifting policy to promote insurance coverage for timely strabismus care,” they write.

As many mental health disorders begin in childhood or adolescence, “it is paramount to identify, address, and, if possible, prevent mental health disorders at a young age, because failure to intervene in a timely fashion can have lifelong health consequences,” say Dr. Prakalapakorn and colleagues.

With mental health conditions and disorders increasing worldwide, compounded by the stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic, additional studies are needed to explore the causal relationships between ocular and psychiatric phenomena, their treatment, and outcomes, they add.

The study was supported by a grant from the National Eye Institute and an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness. Dr. Pineles has reported no relevant conflicts of interest. Commentary author Manpreet K. Singh, MD, has reported receiving research support from Stanford’s Maternal Child Health Research Institute and Stanford’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Aging, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, Johnson & Johnson, Allergan, and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation; serving on the advisory board for Sunovion and Skyland Trail; serving as a consultant for Johnson & Johnson; previously serving as a consultant for X, the moonshot factory, Alphabet, and Limbix Health; receiving honoraria from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; and receiving royalties from American Psychiatric Association Publishing and Thrive Global. Commentary author Nathan Congdon, MD, has reported receiving personal fees from Belkin Vision outside the submitted work.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Misaligned eyes in children are associated with an increased prevalence of mental illness, results of a large study suggest.

Investigators found children with strabismus or “crossed eyes” had up to a twofold increased risk of developing anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, compared with their counterparts without the eye condition.

“Psychiatrists who have a patient with depression or anxiety and notice that patient also has strabismus might think about the link between those two conditions and refer that patient,” study investigator Stacy L. Pineles, MD, professor, department of ophthalmology, University of California, Los Angeles, told this news organization.

University of California at Los Angeles

A common condition

Strabismus, a condition in which the eyes don’t line up or are “crossed,” is one of the most common eye diseases in children, with some estimates suggesting it affects more than 1.5 million American youth.

Patients with strabismus have problems making eye contact and are affected socially and functionally, said Dr. Pineles. They’re often met with a negative bias, as shown by children’s responses to pictures of faces with and without strabismus, she said.

There is a signal from previous research suggesting that strabismus is linked to a higher risk of mental illness. However, most of these studies were small and had relatively homogenous populations, said Dr. Pineles.

The new study includes over 12 million children (mean age, 8.0 years) from a private health insurance claims database that represents diverse races and ethnicities as well as geographic regions across the United States.

The sample included 352,636 children with strabismus and 11,652,553 children with no diagnosed eye disease who served as controls. Most participants were White (51.6%), came from a family with an annual household income of $40,000 or more (51.0%), had point-of-service insurance (68.7%), and had at least one comorbid condition (64.5%).

The study evaluated five mental illness diagnoses. These included anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, substance use or addictive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

Overall, children with strabismus had a higher prevalence of all these illnesses, with the exception of substance use disorder.

After adjusting for age, sex, race and ethnicity, census region, education level of caregiver, family net worth, and presence of at least one comorbid condition, the odds ratios among those with versus without strabismus were: 2.01 (95% confidence interval, 1.99-2.04; P < .001) for anxiety disorder, 1.83 (95% CI, 1.76-1.90; P < .001) for schizophrenia, 1.64 (95% CI, 1.59-1.70; P < .001) for bipolar disorder, and 1.61 (95% CI, 1.59-1.63; P < .001) for depressive disorder.

Substance use disorder had a negative unadjusted association with strabismus, but after adjustment for confounders, the association was not significant (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.97-1.02; P = .48).

Dr. Pineles noted that the study participants, who were all under age 19, may be too young to have substance use disorders.

The results for substance use disorders provided something of an “internal control” and reaffirmed results for the other four conditions, said Dr. Pineles.

“When you do research on such a large database, you’re very likely to find significant associations; the dataset is so large that even very small differences become statistically significant. It was interesting that not everything gave us a positive association.”

Researchers divided the strabismus group into those with esotropia, where the eyes turn inward (52.2%), exotropia, where they turn outward (46.3%), and hypertropia, where one eye wanders upward (12.5%). Investigators found that all three conditions were associated with increased risk of anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, bipolar disorders, and schizophrenia.

Investigators note that rates in the current study were lower than in previous studies, which showed that children with congenital esotropia were 2.6 times more likely to receive a mental health diagnosis, and children with intermittent exotropia were 2.7 times more likely to receive a mental health diagnosis.

“It is probable that our study found a lower risk than these studies, because our study was cross-sectional and claims based, whereas these studies observed the children to early adulthood and were based on medical records,” the investigators note.

It’s impossible to determine from this study how strabismus is connected to mental illness. However, Dr. Pineles believes depression and anxiety might be tied to strabismus via teasing, which affects self-esteem, although genetics could also play a role. For conditions such as schizophrenia, a shared genetic link with strabismus might be more likely, she added.

“Schizophrenia is a pretty severe diagnosis, so just being teased or having poor self-esteem is probably not enough” to develop schizophrenia.

Based on her clinical experience, Dr. Pineles said that realigning the eyes of patients with milder forms of depression or anxiety “definitely anecdotally helps these patients a lot.”

Dr. Pineles and colleagues have another paper in press that examines mental illnesses and other serious eye disorders in children and shows similar findings, she said.
 

Implications for insurance coverage?

In an accompanying editorial, experts, led by S. Grace Prakalapakorn, MD, department of ophthalmology and pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C., noted the exclusion of children covered under government insurance or without insurance is an important study limitation, largely because socioeconomic status is a risk factor for poor mental health.   

The editorialists point to studies showing that surgical correction of ocular misalignments may be associated with reduced anxiety and depression. However, health insurance coverage for such surgical correction “may not be available owing to a misconception that these conditions are ‘cosmetic’.”  

Evidence of the broader association of strabismus with physical and mental health “may play an important role in shifting policy to promote insurance coverage for timely strabismus care,” they write.

As many mental health disorders begin in childhood or adolescence, “it is paramount to identify, address, and, if possible, prevent mental health disorders at a young age, because failure to intervene in a timely fashion can have lifelong health consequences,” say Dr. Prakalapakorn and colleagues.

With mental health conditions and disorders increasing worldwide, compounded by the stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic, additional studies are needed to explore the causal relationships between ocular and psychiatric phenomena, their treatment, and outcomes, they add.

The study was supported by a grant from the National Eye Institute and an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness. Dr. Pineles has reported no relevant conflicts of interest. Commentary author Manpreet K. Singh, MD, has reported receiving research support from Stanford’s Maternal Child Health Research Institute and Stanford’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Aging, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, Johnson & Johnson, Allergan, and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation; serving on the advisory board for Sunovion and Skyland Trail; serving as a consultant for Johnson & Johnson; previously serving as a consultant for X, the moonshot factory, Alphabet, and Limbix Health; receiving honoraria from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; and receiving royalties from American Psychiatric Association Publishing and Thrive Global. Commentary author Nathan Congdon, MD, has reported receiving personal fees from Belkin Vision outside the submitted work.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Misaligned eyes in children are associated with an increased prevalence of mental illness, results of a large study suggest.

Investigators found children with strabismus or “crossed eyes” had up to a twofold increased risk of developing anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, compared with their counterparts without the eye condition.

“Psychiatrists who have a patient with depression or anxiety and notice that patient also has strabismus might think about the link between those two conditions and refer that patient,” study investigator Stacy L. Pineles, MD, professor, department of ophthalmology, University of California, Los Angeles, told this news organization.

University of California at Los Angeles

A common condition

Strabismus, a condition in which the eyes don’t line up or are “crossed,” is one of the most common eye diseases in children, with some estimates suggesting it affects more than 1.5 million American youth.

Patients with strabismus have problems making eye contact and are affected socially and functionally, said Dr. Pineles. They’re often met with a negative bias, as shown by children’s responses to pictures of faces with and without strabismus, she said.

There is a signal from previous research suggesting that strabismus is linked to a higher risk of mental illness. However, most of these studies were small and had relatively homogenous populations, said Dr. Pineles.

The new study includes over 12 million children (mean age, 8.0 years) from a private health insurance claims database that represents diverse races and ethnicities as well as geographic regions across the United States.

The sample included 352,636 children with strabismus and 11,652,553 children with no diagnosed eye disease who served as controls. Most participants were White (51.6%), came from a family with an annual household income of $40,000 or more (51.0%), had point-of-service insurance (68.7%), and had at least one comorbid condition (64.5%).

The study evaluated five mental illness diagnoses. These included anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, substance use or addictive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

Overall, children with strabismus had a higher prevalence of all these illnesses, with the exception of substance use disorder.

After adjusting for age, sex, race and ethnicity, census region, education level of caregiver, family net worth, and presence of at least one comorbid condition, the odds ratios among those with versus without strabismus were: 2.01 (95% confidence interval, 1.99-2.04; P < .001) for anxiety disorder, 1.83 (95% CI, 1.76-1.90; P < .001) for schizophrenia, 1.64 (95% CI, 1.59-1.70; P < .001) for bipolar disorder, and 1.61 (95% CI, 1.59-1.63; P < .001) for depressive disorder.

Substance use disorder had a negative unadjusted association with strabismus, but after adjustment for confounders, the association was not significant (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.97-1.02; P = .48).

Dr. Pineles noted that the study participants, who were all under age 19, may be too young to have substance use disorders.

The results for substance use disorders provided something of an “internal control” and reaffirmed results for the other four conditions, said Dr. Pineles.

“When you do research on such a large database, you’re very likely to find significant associations; the dataset is so large that even very small differences become statistically significant. It was interesting that not everything gave us a positive association.”

Researchers divided the strabismus group into those with esotropia, where the eyes turn inward (52.2%), exotropia, where they turn outward (46.3%), and hypertropia, where one eye wanders upward (12.5%). Investigators found that all three conditions were associated with increased risk of anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, bipolar disorders, and schizophrenia.

Investigators note that rates in the current study were lower than in previous studies, which showed that children with congenital esotropia were 2.6 times more likely to receive a mental health diagnosis, and children with intermittent exotropia were 2.7 times more likely to receive a mental health diagnosis.

“It is probable that our study found a lower risk than these studies, because our study was cross-sectional and claims based, whereas these studies observed the children to early adulthood and were based on medical records,” the investigators note.

It’s impossible to determine from this study how strabismus is connected to mental illness. However, Dr. Pineles believes depression and anxiety might be tied to strabismus via teasing, which affects self-esteem, although genetics could also play a role. For conditions such as schizophrenia, a shared genetic link with strabismus might be more likely, she added.

“Schizophrenia is a pretty severe diagnosis, so just being teased or having poor self-esteem is probably not enough” to develop schizophrenia.

Based on her clinical experience, Dr. Pineles said that realigning the eyes of patients with milder forms of depression or anxiety “definitely anecdotally helps these patients a lot.”

Dr. Pineles and colleagues have another paper in press that examines mental illnesses and other serious eye disorders in children and shows similar findings, she said.
 

Implications for insurance coverage?

In an accompanying editorial, experts, led by S. Grace Prakalapakorn, MD, department of ophthalmology and pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C., noted the exclusion of children covered under government insurance or without insurance is an important study limitation, largely because socioeconomic status is a risk factor for poor mental health.   

The editorialists point to studies showing that surgical correction of ocular misalignments may be associated with reduced anxiety and depression. However, health insurance coverage for such surgical correction “may not be available owing to a misconception that these conditions are ‘cosmetic’.”  

Evidence of the broader association of strabismus with physical and mental health “may play an important role in shifting policy to promote insurance coverage for timely strabismus care,” they write.

As many mental health disorders begin in childhood or adolescence, “it is paramount to identify, address, and, if possible, prevent mental health disorders at a young age, because failure to intervene in a timely fashion can have lifelong health consequences,” say Dr. Prakalapakorn and colleagues.

With mental health conditions and disorders increasing worldwide, compounded by the stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic, additional studies are needed to explore the causal relationships between ocular and psychiatric phenomena, their treatment, and outcomes, they add.

The study was supported by a grant from the National Eye Institute and an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness. Dr. Pineles has reported no relevant conflicts of interest. Commentary author Manpreet K. Singh, MD, has reported receiving research support from Stanford’s Maternal Child Health Research Institute and Stanford’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Aging, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, Johnson & Johnson, Allergan, and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation; serving on the advisory board for Sunovion and Skyland Trail; serving as a consultant for Johnson & Johnson; previously serving as a consultant for X, the moonshot factory, Alphabet, and Limbix Health; receiving honoraria from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; and receiving royalties from American Psychiatric Association Publishing and Thrive Global. Commentary author Nathan Congdon, MD, has reported receiving personal fees from Belkin Vision outside the submitted work.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.