Asthma, Eczema Associated With Higher Risk for Osteoarthritis

A version of this article was originally published on Dermatology Times by Senior Editor Carrie Nagorka. This version has been lightly edited.

A study conducted by researchers at Stanford University found a correlation between asthma and eczema and the risk of developing osteoarthritis. Investigators determined that these patients were 58% more likely (HR, 1.58; 95% CI, 55%-62%) to develop osteoarthritis within the next 8 years compared with those without allergies. Those with both diagnoses were specifically found to have a 1.15-times higher risk for osteoarthritis (odds ratio [OR], 2.15; 95% CI, 1.93-2.39) compared with nonexposed patients and a 0.83-times higher risk (OR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.73-1.95) compared with patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Findings were published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

The study used the Optum database of medical insurance claims from 2003 to 2019 and electronic health records from the Stanford Research Repository for 2010 to 2020 to target 117,346 patients with asthma or atopic dermatitis (mean age, 52 years; 60%, women); 4395 patients had both conditions. There were also 1,247,196 nonexposed patients (mean age, 50 years; 48%, female) included in the analysis.

About half of the patients with eczema also had allergic conditions such as hay fever, asthma, or food allergies, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

The authors acknowledge several limitations to the study, including the lack of information on the severity of atopic disease or osteoarthritis; the patients' histories of joint trauma, exercise habits, and information about the severity of atopy or osteoarthritis, and whether the patients used OTC medications, which could have influenced the findings.

Despite these limitations, the researchers believe that this study shows an increased incidence of osteoarthritis in patients with atopic diseases, such as asthma and eczema. They also believe that future studies should evaluate possible interventions that target allergic pathways in the prevention and treatment of patients with osteoarthritis.

“Our findings provide further support for the concept that allergic pathways may contribute to the development of osteoarthritis," the authors concluded. "If this is indeed true, nonatopic patients may also benefit from the use of treatments that inhibit mast cells and allergic cytokines to treat or prevent osteoarthritis.”

Reference

Baker MC, Sheth K, Lu R, et al. Increased risk of osteoarthritis in patients with atopic disease. Ann Rheum Dis. Published online March 27, 2023. doi:10.1136/ard-2022-223640