BACKGROUND: Adult atopic dermatitis (AD) has been associated with several comorbidities, but cause-specific mortality risk is unknown.

OBJECTIVE: To examine cause-specific death rates and risk in adults with AD.

METHODS: We performed cross-linkage of nationwide health care and cause of death registers. Adult patients with AD were matched with 10 controls per study subject. We calculated incidence rates per 1000 person-years and hazard ratios (HRs) of cause-specific death with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) using Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS: A total of 8686 patients and 86,860 matched controls were studied. The risk for death due to any cause was significantly increased in patients with AD (HR 1.27, 95%CI 1.11-1.45). Significant causes included cardiovascular (HR 1.45; 95% CI 1.07-1.96), infectious (HR 3.71; 95% CI 1.43-9.60), and urogenital diseases (HR 5.51; 95% CI 1.54-19.80). No increased risk for death due to cancer, endocrine, neurologic, psychiatric, respiratory, or gastroenterologic disease was observed.

LIMITATIONS: The results might not be generalizable to patients seen exclusively by primary care physicians.

CONCLUSION: Adults with atopic dermatitis had slightly increased risk for death during follow-up. While the risk for death from cardiovascular, urogenital, and infectious diseases was slightly elevated among patients with AD, the absolute risk was very low.