BMI in Childhood Linked to Risk for Skin Diseases

TOPLINE:

Childhood obesity is linked to a higher risk for pediatric skin diseases linked to immunity, including alopecia areata, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis. Transitioning from normal weight to overweight is associated with increased risk for atopic dermatitis, while weight loss may reduce the risk for this condition.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers in Korea analyzed a longitudinal cohort of more than 2.1 million children in that country from 2009 to 2020 to determine the association between body mass index (BMI) and immune-mediated skin diseases.
• Participants underwent health screenings at age 30-36 months and 42-48 months, with follow-up until December 31, 2021.
• Diagnostic codes were used to identify cases of alopecia areata, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis, with at least three documented physician visits required for diagnosis.

TAKEAWAY:

• Children with obesity had a higher risk of developing alopecia areata, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis than those with normal weight (P for trend < .01).
• Children who transitioned from normal weight to overweight had a higher risk for atopic dermatitis than those who maintained a normal weight (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.15; 95% CI, 1.11-1.20).
• Children whose BMI shifted from overweight to normal had a lower risk for atopic dermatitis (aHR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.81-0.94) than those who remained overweight.

IN PRACTICE:

The association between BMI and skin diseases might be explained by the effect of weight gain on proinflammatory activation and upregulation of inflammatory cytokines, the authors of the study wrote. “Our findings support the importance of promoting weight maintenance among children who are already within the normal weight range,” they stated. “In addition, prevention of excessive weight gain and purposeful weight loss, including adopting healthy diet strategies in children with obesity to prevent [atopic dermatitis], particularly before school age, should be promoted.” 

SOURCE:

The study was led by Hyunsun Park, MD, PhD, and Seong-Joon Koh, MD, PhD, both with Seoul National University College of Medicine in Seoul. It was published in the September issue of Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

LIMITATIONS:

The study was retrospective, and the researchers had limited information about the health of the children’s parents. BMI does not account for specific elements of body composition like fat distribution, the researchers noted. The relatively short follow-up period may have influenced the findings for alopecia areata and psoriasis, which are more prevalent at later ages, they noted.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by grants from the National Research Foundation of Korea and the SNUH Research Fund.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.