The CHECK study, a cross-sectional survey of over 10,000 participants, is the first to quantify the prevalence of chronic hand eczema (CHE) in the U.S.
LEO Pharma Inc., a global leader in medical dermatology, released new findings from the CHECK study, shedding fresh light on the prevalence and impact of chronic hand eczema (CHE) among adults in the United States. The data were presented at the Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, across five posters examining how CHE affects patients’ daily lives.
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The study enrolled more than 10,000 adults aged 18 to 69. Among them, 9.6% self-reported having a physician-diagnosed case of CHE. This marks a first-of-its-kind effort to quantify CHE prevalence in the general U.S. population. Notably, the findings show higher prevalence rates among men, employed individuals, adults under the age of 40 and urban residents—highlighting key demographic patterns in CHE burden.
“These highly powered survey results provide compelling evidence that chronic hand eczema (or CHE) is a common skin disease in the United States,” said Raj Chovatiya, Lead Investigator of the study and Associate Professor at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science, Chicago Medical School. “By deepening our understanding of its prevalence and identifying who is most likely to have CHE, we can better quantify the broader social and economic burden of this debilitating disease.”
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A separate poster detailed severity, symptoms and treatment patterns among those reporting CHE (N = 982). Of these, 65.1% rated their condition as moderate to severe, and more than 80% were using topical or systemic therapies. Despite treatment, symptoms such as itch, pain and sleep disturbance persisted and were commonly rated as moderate in severity.
Another presentation explored the occupational and daily-activity impact of CHE: 27.9% of respondents attributed their disease to their type of work, and 34.9% to common everyday activities. Many reported modifying tasks, reducing working hours or even changing jobs. Additional data showed that patients with moderate to severe CHE incurred significantly higher out-of-pocket monthly costs for emollients or other topical treatments compared to those with mild disease.
“Hands are essential to many daily activities, social interactions and types of work. The ability to function without pain, itch and fissures is often taken for granted, but many patients living with chronic hand eczema find it is debilitating,” said Shannon Schneider, Vice President of North America Medical Affairs, LEO Pharma. “This collective data highlights that the burden of chronic hand eczema extends far beyond what is visually apparent on the skin, emphasizing the importance of more treatment options to improve disease management.”
Additionally, results from a national survey of U.S. healthcare professionals about their experience managing CHE were presented. Among 192 HCPs surveyed, more than 90% strongly agreed that CHE significantly impacts patients’ ability to work and perform daily tasks, and 51% agreed there is a lack of treatment options for moderate-to-severe CHE.
LEO Pharma said it will share further data on CHE, atopic dermatitis, generalized pustular psoriasis and treatments from its global portfolio in 46 different abstracts at the Fall Clinical Conference.
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