Climate change linked to surge in common skin condition impacting most vulnerable

21 Feb 2024 --- In a recent review, the International Eczema Council investigated the link between climate change and atopic dermatitis (AD), shedding light on the effects of environmental changes on the common skin condition, which the research underscores largely impacts vulnerable people in poor living conditions. 

According to the research, understanding the impact of climate-related hazards on AD is becoming increasingly important as GHG emissions rise.

Researchers discover that there are both direct and indirect effects of GHG emissions on eczema, such as stress caused by food insecurity brought on by drought and inflammation caused by particulate matter from wildfires.

Worrisome findings
The review, published in Allergy, Wiley, analyzes numerous studies examining the correlation between AD and various climate-related factors, including extreme weather events, air pollution, temperature fluctuations and humidity changes.

Visualization of the impact of climatic hazards on AD (Image credit: Study in Wiley).“We’ve known for some time that AD is especially sensitive to climatic factors, including air pollution. However, there was less clarity around the impact of increasingly common climatic hazards linked to GHG such as warming, heat waves, drought, wildfires and floods,” says corresponding author Katrina Abuabara at the University of California, San Francisco, US. 

“We found that most climatic hazards have negative effects on AD and that future research should integrate data on the influence of multiple climatic factors on atopic dermatitis incidence, prevalence and long-term disease activity in more diverse settings to address these research gaps.”

Skin pathophysiology
The review of 18 studies claims that environmental factors that directly interact with the skin barrier, immune system and sensory components, such as UV radiation, toxins, allergens, temperature and humidity, can exacerbate the symptoms of AD. 

For example, prolonged exposure to UV radiation can cause inflammation and disruption of the barrier, and temperature variations can cause cutaneous inflammation by activating specific receptors.

Furthermore, air pollutants that worsen oxidative stress and damage the skin barrier, such as particulate matter and volatile organic compounds, irritate AD.People with AD are particularly susceptible to environmental impacts (Image credit: Study in Wiley).

Climate injustice and healthcare pressure
The review emphasizes how vulnerable groups, such as refugees and migrants, are disproportionately affected by climate change and may frequently have poor living conditions that worsen the symptoms of AD. 

These people face additional difficulties due to poor housing, crowding and restricted access to healthcare, which, according to the authors, highlights the need for specialized interventions and support networks.

Furthermore, variations in AD severity caused by the climate can impair disease management and burden healthcare resources at the individual and community levels, especially during extreme weather events, say the researchers.

They highlight the wider health consequences of climate change, where environmental factors may disrupt the epithelium (thin tissue) and predispose people to allergic, autoimmune and neurological conditions.

By Venya Patel