For years, scientists have been studying how the effects caused by climate change may impact health. Previous studies show climatic effects such as extreme heat can increase a person’s risk for kidneyTrusted Source and death due to cardiovascular diseaseTrusted Source. In addition, air pollution from things such as smog and wildfires can impact the respiratoryTrusted Source and cardiovascular systemsTrusted Source. Many of the effects of climate change also have the potential to lead to mental health issuesTrusted Source. Now, researchers from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) have found hazards created by climate change can also negatively affect the chronic skin condition atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema.
Climate-related hazards and eczema For this study, researchers focused on how 10 climate hazards related to greenhouse gas emissions impact atopic dermatitis.
These climate hazards included global warming, heat waves, wildfires, drought, floods, and rising sea levels. “We’ve known for a long time that atopic dermatitis is particularly sensitive to environmental factors, but there was not a clear consensus on how the increasing prevalence of climatic hazards due to climate change might impact atopic dermatitis. Therefore, we set out to review the literature through a systematic search and provide a narrative summary,” Dr. Katrina Abuabara, an associate professor of dermatology at the UCSF School of Medicine and a senior author of this study, explained to Medical News Today. “For many patients with atopic dermatitis, the unpredictability of disease flares can be particularly challenging,” Abuabara explained. “Understanding how climatic factors impact disease could lead to better strategies to address disease triggers. Moreover, because atopic dermatitis is so common, it is important from a public health perspective to understand how climate change and climatic hazards could impact disease trends in the population.” Most climatic hazards aggravate eczema. For this study, Abuabara and her team analyzed data from 18 studies providing evidence for the aggravation of eczema by one of the 10 identified climatic hazards.
