WASHINGTON – The and brings up an interesting discussion, Peter Lio, MD, said in a video interview at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Patients are often convinced that food is the main driver of their AD, or parents believe it is a trigger in their children with AD, according to Dr. Lio of the departments of dermatology and pediatrics at Northwestern University, Chicago.
There is an increased risk of true food allergy in patients with AD, which “seems to get worse with increasing severity of the disease,” he pointed out. However, he added, many patients believe that food allergy is what is driving their eczema, “and that’s the part we don’t really think bears out” in clinical trials.
In the interview, Dr. Lio reviewed some of the clinical trial data and discussed other issues, including foods that seem to have an inflammatory effect in the body, the concepts of “transcutaneous sensitization” in children with AD and the “leaky gut,” and why he tends to recommend probiotics for patients with AD.
Dr. Lio spoke on diet and AD during a session titled “Dietary Triggers and Modifications of Common Dermatologic Conditions – An Evidence Based Approach,” at the meeting, He had no relevant disclosures.