Cigarette smoking is not a risk factor in atopic dermatitis

Background. In recent years several diseases have been shown to have a relationship with smoking. Psoriasis is largely a disease of smokers, whereas acne appears to be associated with not smoking. Methods. One hundred and fifty patients with atopic dermatitis were sent a postal questionnaire on smoking habits and the results were compared with those from matched controls in the local community. Results. One hundred and twenty-seven patients (85%) completed the questionnaire. There was no apparent difference in the prevalence of current smokers amongst atopic dermatitis patients compared with controls (odds ratio = 1.1, 95% confidence limits 0.65–1.86, P = 0.8). Conclusions. There was no significant difference between the smoking prevalence of patients with atopic dermatitis and matched controls.