What Our Team Is Thankful For
We don't take Thanksgiving lightly around here – and with gratitude being the theme of our month, we'd love to share wha ...
Vitiligo Patients Are At Increased Risk for Other Autoimmune Diseases
Patients with vitiligo struggle because there is no cure for this chronic skin condition, but they are various treatment options. However, this isn’t the only thing they battle: they often find themselves developing additional autoimmune diseases. Until now, no official study has been able to draw the connection.
But now, new research carried out on a group of 1873 patients with vitiligo between 2002 and 2012 has been analyzed. Of 1098 patients with vitiligo, it was found that nearly 20% of them had at least one other autoimmune disease. Compared to the general U.S. population, a higher prevalence of the following diseases (among others) were found:
- Alopecia
- IBS (Inflammatory Bowel Diseases)
- Anemia
This sheds light on what was always suspected but never truly proven: patients with vitiligo are susceptible to developing multiple autoimmune diseases, and now we know some of the specific associations. By being able to recognize that some vitiligo patients may have stronger links to other autoimmune diseases, we can better monitor these diseases and possibly diagnose them earlier, which can hopefully lead to better treatment in the future.
About The Author
Dr. Pena is a Board-Certified Medical Dermatologist, Mohs skin cancer surgeon, and cosmetic dermatologist. Her mission is to educate the diverse patient populations she serves, and their communities, on the importance of skin care in decreasing the risk of skin cancer and minimizing the early signs of aging. She founded Skin Solutions Dermatology with numerous clinics in Nashville, Tennessee and surrounding Middle Tennessee.
Dr. Julia Pena, MD
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