Atopic dermatitis (AD), or atopic eczema -- the most common chronic inflammatory skin disease -- is characterized by intense itching, dry skin and inflammation on any part of the body.1,2
While data on the prevalence of AD in adult skin of color (SOC) populations is limited, in patients 17 and under in the U.S., the prevalence of AD is higher among African Americans, at almost 20%, compared with European Americans (16%) and Hispanic Americans (8%).3
There has been limited representation of people with SOC in AD clinical studies. People with SOC may present with unique symptoms, such as skin trauma, irritation or inflammation that causes a change in skin color known as post-inflammatory hyper- and hypopigmentation. In hypopigmentation, affected patches of skin become lighter than a patient’s normal skin tone. Hyperpigmentation causes the opposite reaction, turning patches of skin darker than normal skin tone. Unfortunately, diverse representation in clinical trials has been limited and current clinical measurement scales can vastly underestimate the severity of AD in people with diverse skin tones.
This week, Lotus Mallbris, Ph.D., M.D., is joined by Renata Gontijo Lima, M.D., as well as Lillian, an African American woman living with AD. The group discusses the impact of AD – particularly in people with SOC – and the steps Lilly is taking to generate new disease information to aid investigators and clinicians in providing diagnoses and treatment options for all skin tones. Learn more about Lilly’s AD research efforts.
References
1 Weidinger S, Novak N. Lancet. 2016;387:1109-1122.
2 Bieber, T. Nat Rev Drug Discov 21, 21–40 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41573-021-00266-6.
3 Fu T, et al. Pediatr Dermatol. 2014 Jan-Feb;31(1):21-6. doi: 10.1111/pde.12237.