Excessive Scarring has been Linked to Musculoskeletal Disorders, Hypertension, and Atopic Eczema

Researchers from King’s College London’s School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences and St. John’s Institute of Dermatology used medical records from the UK Biobank to look into the co-morbidities of keloid and hypertrophic scars in an effort to learn more about the relationship between excessive scarring and other conditions.

Atopic eczema, hypertension, musculoskeletal disorders, and pain were all found to co-occur with excessive scarring, according to research that the authors have now published in JAMA Dermatology. Additionally, it appears that a person’s ethnicity may have an impact on the possibility that these disorders co-occur. For instance, connections between fibroids and hypertension were more prevalent among black participants.

The co-occurrence of these disorders raises the possibility of shared processes or possibly biological causal links that call for further research. This knowledge may also aid in the early detection and possibly prevention of interior issues linked to external scarring.

The work is pertinent to both the clinical and scientific dermatology communities due to the potential of these results to guide treatment of affected people as well as reveal shared molecular origins that cause comparable fibrotic tissue alterations across organ systems. However, it also applies to anyone interested in ethnic differences in disease incidence or who studies cardiovascular health.

“Our study highlights the breadth of valuable information that can be gained from studying UK Biobank data. However, we also observed important gaps in current electronic health records, which if addressed would benefit wider research in dermatology and beyond,” says Dr. Chuin Ying Ung, lead author.

The study of shared genetic, molecular, and cellular mechanisms underlying the fibrosis (also known as scarring) of various tissues, including internal organs, will now be the main focus of the researchers. The researchers will keep researching population data to better understand other dermatological disorders.