In a new study from Johns Hopkins Medicine, researchers linked chronic itch to sleep loss and other medical conditions—and could signal an increased risk of heart disease.
Many people suffer from a skin disorder known as chronic pruritic dermatosis, commonly referred to as “chronic itch.”
Chronic itch has been associated in previous studies with multiple sleep disturbances, including repeated nighttime and early morning awakenings.
The resulting loss of quality slumber may lead to fatigue, anxiety, and even depression, all of which have lasting and negative overall health impacts.
In the study, the team examined 5,560 US adults. They obtained background data on the participants from the 2005–2006 edition of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
They showed more evidence that the connection between chronic itch and sleep problems exists, and that these patients may be at greater risk for heart disease as indicated by elevated levels of a circulating protein sometimes used to predict heart problems.
The results confirm the link between sleep disturbances and chronic itch, showing that pruritic dermatosis was linked to trouble falling asleep one to five times per month, waking during the night or too early in the morning, leg jerks and cramps while sleeping, and the impacts of fatigue (such as feeling overly sleepy during the day and having difficulty with memory).
The team also found that patients with elevated blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) were more likely to experience these disturbances. The liver produces CRP, which goes into the bloodstream in response to inflammation.
Researchers have used it as a blood test to predict cardiovascular disease when other biomarkers, primarily low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, are at normal levels.
This suggests that along with the reduction in quality of life brought on by chronic itch, these patients also may have heightened cardiometabolic risk.
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The study is published in the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology. One author of the study is Shawn Kwatra.
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