Older age, diabetes prolong onychomycosis cure

Older patients and patients with diabetes had longer duration to cure of onychomycosis, according to a study presented at the American Academy of Dermatology virtual meeting.

“The incidence of onychomycosis is more frequent in the elderly, and the majority of cases are toenail onychomycosis,” Sumanas Bunyaratavej, MD, of the department of dermatology, faculty of medicine, Siriraj Hospital at Mahidol University, Thailand, and colleagues wrote. “This condition tends to have more comorbidities, which could affect treatment results. Studies of onychomycosis in elderly with aging-associated debilitating conditions is required.”

The 10-year retrospective cohort study included 143 patients with dermatophyte or mixed infection toenail onychomycosis; 34.3% of patients had aging-associated debilitating conditions. Baseline characteristics and comorbidities were reviewed against the desired outcome of a complete cure of less than 10% nail bed infection.

Patients aged 70 years or older carried a longer time to cure (HR = 2.20; 95% CI, 1.01-4.78; P = .048), and diabetes also prolonged complete cure duration (HR = 2.90; 95% CI, 1.04-8.09; P = .042). Complete cure rates were calculated at 39.4% in patients with no aging-associated debilitating conditions vs. 28.6% in patients with aging-associated debilitating conditions.

“Age [of] 70 years old [or older] and having diabetes mellitus were considered as prognostic factors determining longer duration to cure of toenail onychomycosis,” the authors wrote.