Skip to main content

Childhood Obesity Tied to Pediatric Immune-Mediated Skin Diseases

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Aug 27, 2024.

via HealthDay

TUESDAY, Aug. 27, 2024 -- Early childhood obesity may increase the risk for pediatric immune-mediated skin diseases, according to a study published online Aug. 21 in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

Seong Rae Kim, M.D., from the Seoul National University College of Medicine in South Korea, and colleagues examined associations between body mass index or body mass index changes and the development of three main immune-mediated skin diseases: alopecia areata, atopic dermatitis (AD), and psoriasis in a longitudinal cohort of roughly 2.16 million Korean children (2009 to 2020).

The researchers found that children with obesity had a significantly higher risk for pediatric immune-mediated skin diseases than those with normal weight. A higher risk for AD was seen with an increase in body mass index, while a decrease in body mass index correlated with a reduced risk for AD. Transitioning from normal weight to overweight was associated with higher AD risk compared with maintaining a normal weight (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.15). However, those with a decrease in body mass index (overweight to normal weight) had lower AD risk (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.87) versus children who maintained overweight.

"Implementing purposeful interventions, including nutritional strategies, to decrease body weight may aid in reducing the risk of developing immune-mediated skin diseases in children," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

26.5 Percent of Adults With Diabetes Used GLP-1 RA Injectables in 2024

THURSDAY, Aug. 14, 2025 -- In 2024, 26.5 percent of adults with diagnosed diabetes used glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) injectables, according to an August...

Lebrikizumab Efficacious, Safe for Patients With Skin of Color, Eczema

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 13, 2025 -- For patients with skin of color and atopic dermatitis (AD), lebrikizumab is efficacious and safe, according to a study published online July 15 in the...

Public Believes Dermatologic Side Effects From Cancer Treatment Are Common

TUESDAY, Aug. 12, 2025 -- Most individuals living in underserved communities believe that dermatologic side effects (DSEs) from anticancer therapies (ACTs) occur at high rates...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.