More support for dermatitis sufferers urged

The nation’s first study of the quality of life for patients with atopic dermatitis was released in the city on Wednesday, calling for support and care for such patients.

According to the World Health Organization, skin disease ranks fourth on the global list of disease burdens for non-fatal diseases while atopic dermatitis is the top burden among skin diseases.

Moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disease marked by recurrent severe itching and rashes. Patients also have allergic rhinitis, asthma, and other atopic diseases.

The incidence of AD in the United States is about 2 to 5 percent. There are an estimated 10 million sufferers in China.

“The disease seriously influences patients’ life quality,” said Dr Zhang Jianzhong, of Peking University People’s Hospital, a leading expert in the research.

The study found that most patients have difficulty in sleeping due to itching, and reducing itching symptoms is urgent in the case of 75.8 percent of patients.

About 46.5 percent of patients with severe AD cannot work or study, and 45.8 percent of them have difficulty in normal social activities.

“More than 10 percent of the patients had suicidal tendencies, and 71.2 percent of the patients suffered from discrimination,” Zhang said. “They demand more effective treatment and more social support and care.”

Experts said the lack of safe and effective long-term treatment options is also a big problem for patients.

“Some innovative treatments such as targeted biologic medicine for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe AD started to be available in China and we hope these innovative therapies can bring hope to patients,” Zhang said.

Ti Gong