New cohort analysis data suggest the risk of COVID-19 death is about 38% decreased among patients with the autoimmune disease. COVID-19 hospitalization and mortality risk may be significantly decreased among patients with vitiligo, according to findings from a new retrospective cohort analysis.
Here, we hypothesize that patients with non-segmental vitiligo (NSV), an autoimmune skin (and mucosal) disorder, may clear SARS-CoV-2 infection more efficiently and have a lower risk of COVID-19 development.
However, the temporal relationship between the vaccine and development of the disease and the instances of autoimmune phenomena manifesting after COVID‐19 vaccination, 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 suggest that the vaccine could play a role in triggering vitiligo.
If you see white patches and spots on your skin, it's important to find out if you have vitiligo. This disease increases the risk of having some other autoimmune diseases like thyroid disease and alopecia areata. Some people develop hearing loss or a problem with their vision.
Vitiligo is generally considered to be an autoimmune disorder. Autoimmune disorders occur when the immune system attacks the body's own tissues and organs. In people with vitiligo the immune system appears to attack the pigment cells (melanocytes) in the skin .
Vitiligo is a chronic (long-lasting) autoimmune disorder that causes patches of skin to lose pigment or color. This happens when melanocytes – skin cells that make pigment – are attacked and destroyed, causing the skin to turn a milky-white color.
Vitiligo occurs when immune cells destroy the cells that make brown pigment (melanocytes). This destruction is thought to be due to an autoimmune problem. An autoimmune disorder occurs when the body's immune system, which normally protects the body from infection, attacks and destroys healthy body tissue instead.
Vitiligo is associated with several comorbid autoimmune, systemic, and dermatological diseases, primarily thyroid disease, alopecia areata, diabetes mellitus, pernicious anemia, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Addison's disease, inflammatory bowel disease, Sjögren's syndrome, dermatomyositis, ...
As non-segmental vitiligo is closely associated with other autoimmune conditions, you may be assessed to see whether you have any symptoms that could suggest an autoimmune condition, such as: being tired and lacking energy, which may be a sign of Addison's disease.
Vitiligo affects approximately 0.5% to 1% of the population. Its prevalence is similar in both genders and in all races. It can appear at any age, but it often starts before the age of 20. The disease does not affect life expectancy.
A study analyzing the health records of 3.8 million US patients — more than 888,460 with confirmed COVID-19 — found that the COVID-19 group was two to three times as likely to develop various autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and systemic sclerosis.
The results also emphasize that among individuals with preexisting autoimmune conditions, COVID-19 increased the risk of developing another autoimmune disease by 23%.
A review and meta-analysis on the association between severe COVID-19 and autoimmune disease “showed that autoimmune disease was slightly associated with increased risk of severity and mortality of COVID-19” (7).
There have been two previous case reports that have also indicated a temporal association between the COVID-19 vaccine and the development of new-onset vitiligo; one occurring in a 58-year-old man with a prior history of ulcerative colitis following the Pfizer vaccine and another occurring in a 61-year-old woman ...
Vitiligo is an inflammatory disease, and the epidermal lymphocytic infiltration is most likely the primary immunologic event.
Like adults, children with obesity, diabetes, asthma or chronic lung disease, sickle cell disease, or who are immunocompromised can also be at increased risk for getting very sick from COVID-19. Check out COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens for more information on vaccination information for children.
In this study, vitiligo did not appear to be associated with a high body mass index, in contrast to most other autoimmune diseases.
Based on our findings, patients with vitiligo have a high incidence of vitamin D deficiency, and this deficiency is more common among females than males.
For every 100,000 person-years, 503 people with vitiligo developed dementia compared to just 102 healthy controls.
Mixed type vitiligo is a rare type of vitiligo. People with this type develop both segmental vitiligo and color loss beyond the area with segmental vitiligo.
The one significant observation that we found to have the poor prognostic implication in vitiligo is the presence of mucosal vitiligo.
Vitiligo and Vitamins
To treat vitiligo, doctors generally prescribe vitamins, such as vitamins C, E, B12, D, and folic acid, in combination with other treatment regimens.
No, vitiligo is not a form of lupus. Both are autoimmune conditions that can affect your skin. If you have one, you are more likely to get the other. But they are two different diseases with two different treatments.
Many people who have vitiligo are often otherwise healthy. Even so, it's important to find a doctor like a dermatologist who knows about vitiligo. People who have vitiligo have a higher risk of getting some other medical conditions. You can also get painful sunburns on the skin that has lost color.
Protect your skin from the sun.
A bad sunburn can worsen vitiligo. If you have a lighter skin tone, there's another advantage to protecting your skin from the sun. Without a tan, the lighter spots and patches are often less noticeable.