Atopic dermatitis (AD) patients often face lipid metabolism issues, leading to the long-term use of lipid-lowering drugs. However, the influence of circulating lipids and these medications on AD risk remains unclear. To shed light on this, researchers utilized genome-wide association studies (GWAS) from two different sets of data. They performed Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to explore the causal effects of genetically influenced lipid levels and drug use on AD risk.

The team used the random-effects inverse-variance-weighted (IVW) model as the main analysis method and employed several additional techniques to ensure the results were reliable. Interestingly, they found that inhibiting a protein called PCSK9 and activating another called LPL could lower the risk of AD. On the other hand, blocking NPC1L1 seemed to increase AD risk. Other lipids and drug targets didn't show notable effects.

To double-check their findings, the researchers validated the results using another cohort. All sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of their conclusions. This MR study implies that, regardless of circulating lipid levels, using PCSK9 inhibitors and LPL agonists might reduce the risk of AD. Conversely, blocking NPC1L1 could raise the risk. These insights could help in selecting the best lipid-lowering drugs for AD patients and those at risk.

The Impact of Lipid Levels and Drugs on Atopic Dermatitis

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