Newswise — Rosacea, a common and disabling skin condition, affects 10 percent of the population worldwide. Symptoms of the chronic inflammatory skin disease may be persistent, and triggered by daily exposures like sun and heat.
For treatment, global guidelines recommend using oral antibiotics combined with topical anti-inflammatory agents for management. However for many with moderate to severe rosacea, this approach is ineffective and unique therapeutic approaches, including the oral medication isotretinoin, are needed though limited information supporting their use is available.
In the recently published study, Isotretinoin as a Treatment Strategy for Rosacea: A Systematic Review, a team lead by Adam Friedman, professor and chair of dermatology at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and Sapana Desai, dermatology research fellow at GW critically evaluated the available data to highlight the benefits of using isotretinoin for rosacea.
The systematic review analyzed data from randomized controlled trials, retrospective studies, and case series, focusing on optimal dosages, treatment duration, and efficacy outcomes. A significant reduction in rosacea symptoms was observed, with low doses of isotretinoin providing substantial improvement in skin condition, decreased flare-ups, and increased disease remission durations.
"Our findings provide robust evidence that low-dose isotretinoin can be an effective and safe treatment option for rosacea patients who have not responded to traditional treatments," said Friedman. "This study provides practical support to hopefully encourage others to expand their management paradigm to address the large population of those not responding to standard approaches and continuing to suffer from this distressing condition."
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