Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Nov;68(11):2565-2571.
doi: 10.1111/jgs.16706. Epub 2020 Aug 4.

The High Prevalence of Skin Diseases in Adults Aged 70 and Older

Suvi-Päivikki Sinikumpu  1   2 , Jari Jokelainen  3 , Anna K Haarala  1   2 , Maija-Helena Keränen  4   5 , Sirkka Keinänen-Kiukaanniemi  6   7 , Laura Huilaja  1   2
Affiliations

The High Prevalence of Skin Diseases in Adults Aged 70 and Older

Suvi-Päivikki Sinikumpu et al. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2020 Nov.

Abstract

Background/objectives: To determine the prevalence of skin findings and skin diseases in adults aged 70 and older, and to study the association between cutaneous diseases and socioeconomic status (SES), sex, and living status in the older population.

Design: Cross-sectional study of Finnish adults aged 70 to 93 as part of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 Study.

Settings: Skin examination data were available for 552 adults.

Measurements: A whole-body skin examination was performed by dermatologists. The associations between skin diseases and SES, sex, and living status were analyzed.

Results: Nearly 80% of the adults had at least one skin disease that required further treatment or follow-up. More than one-third of the study cases (39.1%) had three or more simultaneous skin diseases. Skin diseases were more common in men than in women (P < .001). The most common skin diseases were tinea pedis (48.6%), onychomycosis (29.9%), rosacea (25.6%), actinic keratosis (22.3%), and asteatotic eczema (20.8%). Some association was found between skin diseases and SES and living status.

Conclusion: A whole-body clinical skin examination is important because it reveals important diagnoses.

Keywords: birth cohort; epidemiology; older adults; skin diseases; skin tumors.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

References

REFERENCES

    1. Tong R. Long-term care for elderly people globally. In: Teays W, Renteln AD, eds. Global Bioethics and Human Rights: Contemporary Perspectives. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield; 2020:282.
    1. Fenske NA, Lober CW. Skin changes of aging: pathological implications. Geriatrics. 1990;45(3):27-35.
    1. Dalgard F, Svensson Å, Holm JØ, Sundby J. Self-reported skin morbidity in Oslo. Associations with sociodemographic factors among adults in a cross-sectional study. Br J Dermatol. 2004;151(2):452-457.
    1. Krueger G, Koo J, Lebwohl M, Menter A, Stern RS, Rolstad T. The impact of psoriasis on quality of life: results of a 1998 National Psoriasis Foundation patient-membership survey. Arch Dermatol. 2001;137(3):280-284.
    1. Hahnel E, Lichterfeld A, Blume-Peytavi U, Kottner J. The epidemiology of skin conditions in the aged: a systematic review. J Tissue Viability. 2017;26(1):20-28.

Publication types