Link found between severe eczema and heart problems

People with severe eczema have an increased risk of cardiovascular problems, new research suggests.

About 10% of the population are thought to have atopic eczema, but evidence for a connection to cardiovascular problems had been mixed, said Dr Sinéad Langan, lead author of the research from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The new study, she said, suggests such a link exists.

“Overall, eczema was associated with a small increased risk of [non-fatal] cardiovascular outcomes,” said Langan. “In people with severe eczema we did see a very small increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.”

It is unclear what is behind the link: it is not known whether the conditions are directly connected, or if treatments for eczema might play a role.

The latest research, published in the BMJ, is based on at hospital and GP records from more than 380,000 adults with atopic eczema and more than 1.5m without.

The team compared individuals with the condition with to up to five similar people without it to determine whether eczema was linked to conditions including stroke, heart failure and heart attacks.

Once factors including time since diagnosis and deprivation were taken into account, the results reveal that individuals with eczema have a slightly higher risk of non-fatal cardiovascular problems, with about a 20% higher risk of heart failure and a 10% increased risk of stroke. There was no increased risk of heart attack or cardiovascular death.

However, severe cases of eczema were linked to a 41% increased risk of heart attack, 69% increased risk of heart failure, 22% increased risk of stroke and 38% increased risk of cardiovascular death compared with those without the condition..

The team say people with eczema should not be alarmed since the risk of such conditions remains low.

Prof Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said the study confirms that people with severe eczema are at increased risk of heart and circulatory diseases. “Although the reasons for this remain unknown, and the absolute increase in risk is small, GPs should be made aware of the findings and be alert for indicators of cardiovascular risk in their eczema patients,” he said.