NEWS

Could Common Skin Conditions Indicate Other Health Issues?

Common skin conditions, including acne and hirsutism, may indicate that other health issues are present, according to 2 new studies. The first study found that young men with acne are 2 times as likely to have metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance than those without acne.

To conduct their study, researchers compared 100 male patients with acne who were at least 20 years old with 100 male patients of the same age without acne. Then they were separated into groups of 25, depending on their acne’s severity, and tested for insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.

Results showed that twice as many patients with acne had insulin resistance (22%) and metabolic syndrome (17%) than those without acne (11% and 9%, respectively).

“Postadolescent male patients with acne more commonly have insulin resistance,” researchers concluded. “This resistance may be a stage of prediabetes, and the patients may develop hyperinsulinemia or type 2 diabetes in the future.”

The second study found that certain skin conditions might predict the presence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

To identify the visual and systemic symptoms of PCOS, researchers followed 401 female PCOS patients at the PCOS Multidisciplinary Clinic in California over a 6-year period. Researchers conducted tests to determine the levels of various hormones, cholesterol, glucose, and insulin.

Nearly 69% of patients were diagnosed with PCOS at baseline and 12% were not—77 patients were excluded from the study.

Researchers found that 61% of PCOS patients had acne, 53% had hirsutism, and 37% had acanthosis nigricans (AN), whereas only 40% of patients who didn’t have PCOS had acne, 31% had hirsutism, and 20% had AN.

“Hirsutism and AN are the most reliable cutaneous markers of PCOS and require a comprehensive skin examination to diagnose,” researchers concluded. “When present, hirsutism and AN should raise clinical concern that warrants further diagnostic evaluation for metabolic comorbidities that may lead to long-term complications.”

References:
Nagpal M, De D, Handa S, et al. Insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome in young men with acne. JAMA Dermatol. Published online December 23, 2015. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2015.4499.
Schmidt TH, Khanijow K, Cedars MI, et al. Cutaneous findings and systemic associations in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. JAMA Dermatol. Published online December 23, 2015. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2015.4498.

Source: Reproduced from GP Clinics Vol 6 No 12, 2016.