Many people suffer from a skin disorder known as chronic pruritic dermatosis, commonly referred to as “chronic itch.” Recent research has suggested that chronic itch may be at the root of other related medical conditions, including sleep disturbances.
Now, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have gone a step further, providing more evidence that the connection between chronic itch and sleep problems exists, and that these patients may be at greater risk for cardiac disease as indicated by elevated levels of a circulating protein sometimes used to predict heart problems.