Characterizing Patients and Treatment Patterns in Moderate-to-severe Atopic Dermatitis in Finland: A Population-based Study Using National Health Data

• Published in: Acta dermato-venereologica Vol. 105; p. adv41244
• Main Authors: Remitz, Anita, Peltonen, Essi J., Korhonen, Laura, Nortamo, Pekka, Iso-Mustajärvi, Ilona, Prami, Tuire, Oinonen, Lasse, Gittens, Beatrice, Von Arx, Lill-Brith, Porsdal, Vibeke
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sweden MJS Publishing, on behalf of the Society for Publication of Acta Dermato-Venereologica 24.04.2025; Medical Journals Sweden
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adrenal Cortex Hormones - therapeutic use; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Atopic dermatitis; Child; Child, Preschool; clinical practice patterns; Comorbidity; Databases, Factual; Dermatitis, Atopic - diagnosis; Dermatitis, Atopic - drug therapy; Dermatitis, Atopic - epidemiology; Dermatologic Agents - administration & dosage; Dermatologic Agents - therapeutic use; Emollients - therapeutic use; Female; Finland - epidemiology; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Middle Aged; observational study; Original Report; patient characteristics; Practice Patterns, Physicians' - trends; Severity of Illness Index; Young Adult; Finland
• ISSN: 0001-5555; 1651-2057; 1651-2057
• DOI: 10.2340/actadv.v105.41244

This observational study evaluated demographics, disease characteristics, and treatment patterns in children, adolescents, and adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) and compared comorbidities (adults only) and healthcare resource use with those of matched reference subjects without moderate-to-severe AD in Finland between 2016 and 2020. A total of 68,216 patients with moderate-to-severe AD and a reference population of 338,325 people without moderate-to-severe AD were identified and included in the study. Among children aged 0–11 years in the moderate-to-severe AD cohort, most were diagnosed with AD and were identified to have moderate-to-severe AD before they reached 4 years of age (92.4% and 79.3%, respectively). Atopic disorders and psychiatric, gastrointestinal, and other diseases were more common in adults with moderate-to-severe AD than in the reference population. Regardless of age, patients with moderate-to-severe AD had a higher number of primary and secondary healthcare visits annually compared with the reference population. Across all 3 age groups, topical corticosteroids and emollients were the 2 categories of AD medications most frequently used throughout the study period. In adults, the use of methotrexate and dupilumab increased over the course of the study. Moderate-to-severe AD affects people of all ages in Finland.