Rosacea’s comorbidities are more than skin deep

AMSTERDAM – Rosacea is associated with increased risk of a range of chronic systemic diseases, including allergies and urogential disorders, a case-control study showed.

The common denominator among this linked diverse collection of diseases is probably underlying systemic inflammation, Dr. Barbara M. Rainer explained at the annual congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. But regardless of the pathophysiologic mechanisms at work, the important thing is that physicians be on the lookout for these comorbid conditions in their patients with rosacea.

Dr. Rainer of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore presented a case-control study involving 130 subjects: 65 rosacea patients and an equal number of controls matched for age, sex, and race.

The most common comorbidity was food allergies (odds ratio, 10), followed by urogenital disorders (OR, 7.5).

The rosacea patients averaged 50 years of age and had a mean 11.8-year history of their skin disease. Body mass index, smoking status, alcohol intake, and coffee consumption were similar in cases and controls. Two-thirds of subjects were women. Relative risks for comorbid conditions were calculated using logistic regression analysis.

Dr. Rainer reported no relevant financial conflicts.

[RW] Common comorbid conditions in rosacea patients

bjancin@frontlinemedcom.com