A 10-year retrospective study involving 3,280 patients showed that comorbid autoimmune conditions occur in approximately 23% of vitiligo patients, including thyroid disease (TD), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and type 1 diabetes mellitus (35).
People with vitiligo may also have an increased risk of other autoimmune conditions, such as pernicious anemia, Addison's disease, and Sjögren's disease.
Vitiligo is epidemiologically associated with increased risk of autoimmune thyroid disease, type 1 diabetes, pernicious anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and Addison's disease8,15.
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 an autoimmune disease of the skin, which means that someone with vitiligo has an immune system that is malfunctioning in a small way. The normal role of the immune system is to protect you from infections and cancer.
A lack of pigment in your skin (melanin) causes vitiligo. The reason why this happens is unknown. Research suggests vitiligo could be the result of: An autoimmune condition: Your immune system mistakes healthy cells (melanocytes) as foreign invaders like bacteria that can cause harm to your body.
Many people with vitiligo also have thyroid disease, and autoimmunity can play a role in both conditions. However, researchers are still trying to understand the relationship.
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 (signs of Addison's disease) being thirsty and needing to urinate often (signs of diabetes)
The one significant observation that we found to have the poor prognostic implication in vitiligo is the presence of mucosal vitiligo.
Disease Overview
The most noticeable symptom is a rapid loss of vision. There may also be neurological signs such as severe headache, vertigo, nausea, and drowsiness. Loss of hearing, and loss of hair (alopecia) and skin color may occur along, with whitening (loss of pigmentation) of the hair and eyelashes (poliosis).
In vitiligo, mechanisms responsible for melanocyte destruction in the skin can affect melanocytes within iris and retina of the eyes as well. There is well-known association of vitiligo with ocular disturbances in diseases such as Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome and Alezzandrini's syndrome.
Vitiligo is an under-recognized organ-specific autoimmune disease of the skin that results from cytotoxic T cell-mediated attack on melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells in the epidermis (18). The result is the loss of pigment in the skin, visible as white spots (Fig. 1) (19).
Vitiligo causes isolation, stigmatization, loss of self-esteem, depression, and self-consciousness.
For every 100,000 person-years, 503 people with vitiligo developed dementia compared to just 102 healthy controls.
Individuals with vitiligo also frequently experience mental health effects like low mood, self-esteem issues, social anxiety, withdrawal, and embarrassment—all of which can deeply affect a person's quality of life.
Endocrine disorders associated with vitiligo include Addison's disease and diabetes. Vitiligo-associated dermatologic disorders include alopecia areata, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis [15,16].
New cohort analysis data suggest the risk of COVID-19 death is about 38% decreased among patients with the autoimmune disease.
Vitiligo is a depigmenting autoimmune disease. Recent studies suggest a subset of vitiligo patients, those with more chronic and severe diseases, are at higher risk of developing dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis, with the potential increase of CVR.
Conclusion: some hormonal indicators have a role in pathogenesis of vitiligo where their disturbance leads to melanocyte destruction and/or depigmentation. Vitiligo is an idiopathic disorder of skin and hair characterized by melanin loss.
Vitiligo causes are unknown but hereditary is the top most contributing factor. A person having the tendency to develop vitiligo can suffer from this disorder when any of the following triggering factors come into action like emotional stress, anxiety or fear.
Say Hello to Sunshine: Expose the affected areas to early morning sunlight i.e. just as soon as the sun rises as it consists of ultraviolet A-rays (320-400nm) which stimulate pigment-forming cells (melanin). However, ultraviolet rays are harmful when at their peak between 10 am to 4 pm.
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.
Can you die from vitiligo? Vitiligo does not pose a serious threat to one's health, but it can result in physical complications, such as eye issues, hearing problems, and sunburn. People with vitiligo also tend to be more likely to have another autoimmune disease (like thyroid disorders and some types of anemia).