Rosacea risk higher in female migraine sufferers

(HealthDay)—There is a slight increased risk of rosacea among females with migraines, according to a study published in the September issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Julia Spoendlin, from the University of Basel in Switzerland, and colleagues used the United Kingdom-based General Practice Research Database to identify patients with incident rosacea between 1995 and 2009 (cases; 53,927 participants) and matched rosacea-free control subjects (matched 1:1; 53,927 participants).

The researchers observed a small overall association between rosacea and migraine in women (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.22), but not in men. In female migraineurs aged 50 to 59 years, the effect was more pronounced (aOR, 1.36). Female triptan users also exhibited slightly increasing risk estimates with increasing age, with the highest odds ratio seen in women aged 60 years and older (aOR, 1.66).

"We observed a slightly increased risk for female migraineurs to develop rosacea, particularly in women with severe migraine aged 50 years or older," the authors write.

One author disclosed financial ties to Galderma, which funded the study.