Skin diseases may be more prevalent than previously thought

Skin diseases are ranked as the fourth leading cause of human illness, but many people do not seek medical attention. A new Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology study estimates the prevalence of skin diseases outside the typical medical setting.

To include people who never or rarely seek medical badistance, the study does not rely on health insurance data, but rather on data collected at the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. Screening tests were randomly conducted on participating visitors.

Among the 2,701 participants in the study, at least one skin abnormality was observed in 1,662 participants (64.5%). The most frequent diagnoses were actinic keratosis (26.6%), rosacea (25.5%) and eczema (11.7%). Skin diseases increase with age and are more common in men (72.3%) than women (58.0%). Nearly two-thirds of affected participants were unaware of their skin abnormalities.

"Skin diseases may be even more prevalent than previously thought, because of their significant impact on individual, family and social life, as well as their heavy economic burden caused by inadequate treatment," Whether it is autonomous or non-medical, the importance underestimated, "said lead author Alexander Zink from the Technical University of Munich. "Information and awareness campaigns are needed to better tackle this neglected problem and reduce the global burden of skin diseases."