Obesity may be tied to higher rosacea risk in women

(HealthDay)—Obesity may be associated with an increased risk for rosacea, according to a study published in the December issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Suyun Li, Ph.D., from Guangzhou Medical University in China, and colleagues used data from 89,886 participants in the Nurses' Health Study II (1991 to 2005) to assess the relationship between obesity and rosacea.

The researchers found that over 14 years of follow-up there were 5,249 incident cases of rosacea. The risk for rosacea was higher among those with increased body mass index (BMI; P_trend < 0.0001). For BMI ≥35.0 kg/m², the hazard ratio of rosacea was 1.48, compared to those with a BMI of 21.0 to 22.9 kg/m². A significantly increased risk for rosacea was seen with higher waist circumference and hip circumference (P_trend < 0.0001), independent of BMI.

"The study contributes to the understanding of rosacea etiology and informs clinical practice related to rosacea prevention and patient care," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.