Chronic Pruritus Prevalent Among Older Adults

TUESDAY, Nov. 25, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Chronic pruritus is prevalent among older adults and is associated with moderately impaired pruritus-specific quality of life, according to a study published online Nov. 10 in Acta Dermato Venereologica.

Juliette F. Bollemeijer, M.D., from Erasmus MC University Medical Center in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study to examine the prevalence of chronic pruritus, its associated factors, and pruritus-specific quality of life in a study involving 4,474 participants from the Rotterdam Study (median age, 72 years).

The researchers found that the prevalence of chronic pruritus was 8.6, 10.5, and 18.6 percent for current, 12-month, and lifetime prevalence, respectively. Factors associated with higher odds of chronic pruritus included female sex, older age, smoking, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, self-reported dry skin, asthma, steatotic liver disease, polyneuropathy, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and poor sleep. Pruritus-specific quality of life was moderately impaired among those with current pruritus, with the greatest impairment associated with atopic dermatitis and psychological symptoms.

“These findings support recognizing chronic pruritus as a multifactorial condition in ageing populations and the need for multidisciplinary care, including psychological support,” the authors write.

Although no products produced by Unilever were tested in this study, it is possible that this study could be used to promote products and services in the future, leading to financial gain.

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