18 peer-reviewed studies linked to Eczema / Dermatitis (diagnostic code 7806) in the VA Ready app, sourced from PubMed and the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Every citation is real and links to the source — bring them to your C&P exam or hand them to your VSO.
StudyPrimary2026
Stress in dermatology patients: A multicenter observational study of 8295 outpatients and controls from 22 European clinicsJAAD International · 2026
- Large multicenter evidence that dermatology patients (incl. eczema) carry significantly higher stress loads than controls.
Why it matters: Large multicenter evidence that dermatology patients (incl. eczema) carry significantly higher stress loads than controls.
View on PubMed ↗StudyPrimary2026
The definition of response and inadequate response to topical corticosteroid treatment in atopic dermatitis and related skin inflammatory diseases: A GA2LEN ADCARE statement paperWorld Allergy Organization Journal · 2026
- Standardizes inadequate response to topical corticosteroids, which maps to constant/near-constant systemic therapy thresholds for higher ratings.
Why it matters: Standardizes inadequate response to topical corticosteroids, which maps to constant/near-constant systemic therapy thresholds for higher ratings.
View on PubMed ↗StudyPrimary2026
Cutaneous Pain in Atopic Dermatitis: Mental Health BurdenJournal of Clinical Medicine · 2026
- Pain dimension of AD and associated mental-health burden, directly relevant to functional impact arguments in C&P exams.
Why it matters: Pain dimension of AD and associated mental-health burden, directly relevant to functional impact arguments in C&P exams.
View on PubMed ↗StudyPrimary2026
Does the Skin Remember? A Systematic Review on the Association Between Stressful and Traumatic Experiences and Dermatological DisordersStress and Health · 2026
- Systematic review tying traumatic stress to dermatologic disease onset and flare, supports secondary-service-connection to PTSD.
Why it matters: Systematic review tying traumatic stress to dermatologic disease onset and flare, supports secondary-service-connection to PTSD.
View on PubMed ↗StudyPrimary2025
Epidemiology of Skin Diseases amongst Lowlanders in the High-Altitude Ladakh Region: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional StudyIndian Journal of Dermatology · 2025
- Documents environmentally driven dermatitis/eczema in personnel deployed to harsh climates, analogous to military mountain deployments.
Why it matters: Documents environmentally driven dermatitis/eczema in personnel deployed to harsh climates, analogous to military mountain deployments.
View on PubMed ↗ReviewPrimary2024
Reappraising the Use of Systemic Immunomodulators for Psoriasis and Eczema in the Military.Mil Med · 2024
- Atopic dermatitis is disqualifying for military entrance and, when poorly controlled, causes difficulty wearing body armor and protective equipment, limiting ability to train and deploy.
- AD may be exacerbated by military service due to austere environments, extreme temperatures, stress, skin injury, bug bites, and vaccinations.
- Service members face restricted systemic treatment options on deployment; dupilumab identified as the safest effective systemic agent for AD.
Why it matters: Explicitly links military service exposures to exacerbation of atopic dermatitis and documents functional impairment (inability to wear protective gear, deploy, or train), directly supporting service-connection and occupational-impact claims.
View on PubMed ↗Systematic reviewPrimary2023
Global epidemiology of atopic dermatitis: a comprehensive systematic analysis and modelling study.Br J Dermatol · 2023
- Global prevalence of atopic dermatitis estimated at 2.6%, affecting ~204 million people worldwide, with ~101 million adults affected (adult prevalence 2.0%).
- Prevalence varies substantially by age, sex (higher in females, 2.8% vs 2.4% in males), and geographic region.
- AD identified as the leading cause of global skin-disease burden.
Why it matters: Establishes that eczema/atopic dermatitis is a highly prevalent chronic condition affecting roughly 1 in 50 adults globally, supporting that the condition is common enough to plausibly arise or persist in the veteran population.
View on PubMed ↗Cross-sectionalPrimary2023
CORRELATES OF ATOPIC DERMATITIS CHARACTERISTICS IN MILITARY PERSONNEL.Georgian Med News · 2023
- Recurrence 3-5 times/year correlated positively with wearing a military uniform 12-24 hours and with being a service member.
- Staphylococcus aureus and other infections correlated with prolonged uniform wear (one week or more) and trunk/face localization.
- Development and recurrence of AD in military personnel correlated with living conditions and attached infections.
Why it matters: Provides direct evidence that military service conditions (prolonged uniform wear, field living conditions, secondary infection) are associated with more frequent atopic dermatitis flares, supporting a service-connection/aggravation rationale.
View on PubMed ↗Cross-sectionalPrimary2021
Extent and Impact of Inadequate Disease Control in US Adults with a History of Moderate to Severe Atopic Dermatitis Following Introduction of New Treatments.Dermatol Ther (Heidelb) · 2021
- 42.3% of US adults with a history of moderate-to-severe AD had inadequately controlled disease despite new therapies (down from 58.7% in 2014).
- Inadequate control rose with severity, reaching 94.5% in patients classified as severe.
- Inadequately controlled patients were more likely to be unemployed and had worse itch, sleep, anxiety, and depression (all p<0.0001).
Why it matters: Shows that a large proportion of patients have persistent, inadequately controlled atopic dermatitis despite treatment, with associated unemployment and worse quality of life, supporting that symptoms commonly persist and cause functional impairment.
View on PubMed ↗Systematic reviewPrimary2020
Prevalence and Incidence of Atopic Dermatitis: A Systematic Review.Acta Derm Venereol · 2020
- 1-year prevalence of doctor-diagnosed AD in adults ranged from 1.2% (Asia) to 17.1% (Europe).
- AD incidence and prevalence vary widely by continent and diagnostic method.
- Few 21st-century studies examine incidence in adults specifically, a recognized evidence gap.
Why it matters: Documents the substantial adult prevalence range of physician-diagnosed atopic dermatitis, reinforcing the condition's commonness and the validity of an adult-onset or persistent presentation in claimants.
View on PubMed ↗Systematic reviewPrimary2018
The impact of atopic dermatitis on work life - a systematic review.J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol · 2018
- 8 of 9 studies on sick leave and 2 studies on disability pensions found atopic dermatitis to have a negative impact on work life.
- AD affects educational and occupational choices and, in more severe cases, leads to disability pensions.
- AD imposes a burden extending beyond personal, emotional, and financial costs into occupational functioning.
Why it matters: Directly documents that atopic dermatitis causes occupational/economic impairment including increased sick leave and disability pensions, supporting functional-impact and disability-rating claims.
View on PubMed ↗Meta-analysisPrimary2016
Persistence of atopic dermatitis (AD): A systematic review and meta-analysis.J Am Acad Dermatol · 2016
- Most childhood AD remitted by adulthood (80% did not persist by 8 years; <5% persisted by 20 years).
- Later disease onset, already-persistent disease, and greater severity were associated with increased persistence into adulthood.
- Persistence was greater in female patients and when using patient/caregiver-assessed outcomes.
Why it matters: Defines the natural history of atopic dermatitis, showing that severe or later-onset disease is more likely to persist chronically into adulthood, informing prognosis and chronicity in veteran claimants.
View on PubMed ↗ReviewPrimary2014
Guidelines of care for the management of atopic dermatitis: section 1. Diagnosis and assessment of atopic dermatitis.J Am Acad Dermatol · 2014
- Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, pruritic, inflammatory dermatosis affecting up to 25% of children and 2-3% of adults.
- Provides standardized methods for diagnosis, monitoring, severity/outcome measures, and review of known risk factors and clinical associations.
Why it matters: Serves as the authoritative US clinical-guideline standard for diagnosing and assessing severity of atopic dermatitis, anchoring the diagnostic and functional-grading framework relevant to the rating criteria.
View on PubMed ↗ReviewSupporting2023
Dermatologic Implications of Sleep Deprivation in the US Military.Cutis · 2023
- Military service predisposes members to disordered/short sleep due to deployments and field training.
- Reviews mechanisms by which sleep deprivation may worsen skin conditions including atopic dermatitis.
Why it matters: Connects a ubiquitous military exposure (sleep deprivation from deployment and field training) to aggravation of atopic dermatitis, supporting an environmental/service-connection causal pathway.
View on PubMed ↗Systematic reviewSupporting2023
Topical treatments for atopic dermatitis (eczema): Systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized trials.J Allergy Clin Immunol · 2023
- Pimecrolimus, tacrolimus, and moderate-potency topical corticosteroids were among the most effective for improving and maintaining AD outcomes.
- 68 interventions across 219 trials were compared via network meta-analysis informing the 2023 Joint Task Force AD guidelines.
- Topical antibiotics alone or in combination may be among the least effective treatments.
Why it matters: Provides the evidence base for first-line topical therapy effectiveness in atopic dermatitis, contextualizing the treatments a claimant is expected to use and the realistic ceiling of topical control.
View on PubMed ↗Cohort studySupporting2022
Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidal Ideation in Patients with Atopic Eczema in a Prospective Study in Leipzig, Germany.Int Arch Allergy Immunol · 2022
- Adults with atopic eczema had significantly higher depression and anxiety scores (HADS, GAD-7, CES-D; p<0.001) than matched non-atopic controls.
- Patient-reported eczema severity (POEM) correlated significantly with anxiety and depression measures.
- Patients with suicidal thoughts, plans, or attempts in the prior 12 months had significantly more severe eczema.
Why it matters: Establishes a quantified association between atopic dermatitis severity and depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, supporting secondary mental-health conditions in claimants with severe eczema.
View on PubMed ↗ReviewSupporting2019
Treatment consideration for US military members with skin disease.Cutis · 2019
- Reviews unique treatment considerations for active-duty service members with atopic dermatitis among other skin diseases.
- Medical readiness and deployment eligibility must be weighed when establishing AD treatment plans for service members.
Why it matters: Confirms atopic dermatitis is a recognized condition affecting active-duty readiness and deployment eligibility, reinforcing its occupational relevance for veterans.
View on PubMed ↗Cohort studySupporting2014
Filaggrin loss-of-function mutations and atopic dermatitis as risk factors for hand eczema in apprentice nurses: part II of a prospective cohort study.Contact Dermatitis · 2014
- A history of atopic dermatitis conferred an odds ratio of 2.5 for developing hand eczema during traineeships after adjusting for exposure and filaggrin mutations.
- Wet-work exposure and frequent hand washing increased hand-eczema risk; AD plus filaggrin mutations carried the highest risk.
- Prior AD and prior hand eczema were among the most important risk factors for occupational hand eczema.
Why it matters: Demonstrates that pre-existing atopic dermatitis combined with occupational wet-work/repetitive exposure markedly raises the risk of disabling hand eczema, supporting occupational-causation and secondary-condition arguments.
View on PubMed ↗