How close a person lives to a major road could have an impact on their eczema risk.
New research suggests that folks who live farther from one are less likely to develop the skin condition.
A 13-year medical chart review focused on patients in Denver, from infants to age 18.
Those with eczema were compared to an equal-sized control group of patients without the condition. In all, the study included more than 14,000 children.
The researchers calculated the distance from their homes to a road with annual traffic of more than 10,000 vehicles a day.
The risk of eczema (atopic dermatitis) dropped 21% for every 10-fold increase in distance from a major road, the study found.
“In the end, we found children who lived 1,000 meters [0.6 miles] or more from a major road had 27% lower odds of atopic dermatitis compared to children who lived within 500 meters of a major road,” said lead author Dr. Michael Nevid, a fellow at National Jewish Health in Denver, who pursued this research after learning about a similar study in Asia.
“This is an early association study, so more work needs to be done to examine the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the association,” Nevid said in a news release from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
The findings were published in a February online supplement to The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. They are also scheduled to be presented during a meeting in San Antonio of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, Feb. 24 to 27.
More information:
The National Eczema Association has more on eczema and the environment.
Michael Nevid et al, Association of Atopic Dermatitis with Proximity to Major Roads, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2022.12.604
Journal information:
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
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