Increased Risk of Dementia in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder with bimodal incidence peaks in early childhood and middle-aged and older adults. Few studies have focused on the risk of dementia in AD. The aims of this study were to analyse the incidence, and risk factors for dementia in patients with AD. This nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study enrolled 38,391 adults ≥ 40 years of age with AD and 2,643,602 controls without AD from the Korean National Health Insurance System (NHIS) database from 2009 to 2016. The cumulative incidence probability of all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, or vascular dementia at 8 years was 50, 39, and 7 per 1,000 person-years in patients with AD, respectively. The adjusted risks of all-cause dementia (hazard ratio (HR), 1.072; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.026–1.120), and Alzheimer’s disease (HR 1.051; 95% CI 1.000–1.104) were increased in patients with AD. The effect of AD on the development of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer’s dementia varied according to age and diabetes mellitus (all p for interaction, < 0.05). The risks of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer’s disease were increased in patients with AD. Management of modifiable risk factors is important for preventing dementia in patients with AD. SIGNIFICANCE Little is known about the risk of dementia in patients with atopic dermatitis. This is the first population-based study in Korea identifying the risk of dementia among patients with atopic dermatitis. Atopic dermatitis is associated with an increased risk of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Management of modifiable risk factors is important for preventing dementia in patients with atopic dermatitis.