Burden of Mild-to-Moderate Atopic Dermatitis in Adults in the United States: Results from the National Health and Wellness Survey

Abstract: Background: Knowledge about the impact of mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis (AD) on patients’ physical and mental health in the United States (US) is limited. Objective: To describe clinical, humanistic, and economic burdens of mild-to-moderate AD in US adults. Methods: Data were analyzed from the 2017 National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS). NHWS respondents with a self-reported physician’s diagnosis of AD or eczema comprised the AD cohort. Self-reported outcomes assessed included the presence of comorbidities, AD-related sleep disruption severity and impact, anxiety, depression severity, quality of life, mental health, and work and activity impairment. Results: A total of 4321 respondents in the AD cohort were matched with 4321 respondents in a non-AD control cohort. Comorbidities reported more commonly in the AD versus control cohort included allergies, pain, hypertension, high cholesterol, and food allergies ( P < 0.05 for all). Self-reported anxiety, sleep difficulties, and depression were more frequent in the AD versus control cohort ( P < 0.0001 for all). Poorer quality of life, worse functional status, and greater impairments to work productivity and daily activity were reported in the AD versus control cohort ( P < 0.0001 for all). Conclusions: Mild-to-moderate AD negatively impacts physical, mental, and social domains in adults in the US.