Key clinical point: A significant positive, dose-dependent association was observed between air quality index (AQI) and the incidence of atopic dermatitis (AD).
Major finding: The participants were classified into four AQI value quantiles (Q), with the mean AQI values from the lowest Q1 to the highest Q4 being 69.0, 78.9, 89.8, and 104.0, respectively. Compared with Q1, the risk for AD increased significantly in Q2 (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.29; 95% CI 1.04-1.65), Q3 (aHR 4.71; 95% CI 3.78-6.04), and Q4 (aHR 13.20; 95% CI 10.86-16.60). An increase of one unit in the AQI value increased the risk for AD by 7%.
Study details: This cohort study included 21,278,938 individuals without AD, with the long-term average AQI value before AD diagnosis being calculated and linked for each of the individuals.
Disclosures: This study was sponsored by grants from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, Republic of China. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Source: Wu CY, Wu CY, Li MC, Ho HJ, Ao CK. Association of air quality index (AQI) with incidence of atopic dermatitis in Taiwan: A nationwide population-based cohort study. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2024 (Feb 1). doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2024.01.058 Source