The Rosacea Forum: Papulopustular,
Telangiectatic, and Phymatous Subtypes

People with rosacea are three times more likely to have a family member who also has the skin disorder, according to new research presented in March at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

The research also showed that rosacea patients are about nine times more likely to have a history of blistering sunburns than people without the condition.

The research was presented by Alexa Boer Kimball, MD, associate professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School in Boston. It was a case-controlled study and involved 130 participants, aged 18 to 86. Half had rosacea; half did not.

The study was unable to determine if the sunburns contributed to the rosacea or if people with the condition try to “self-treat” by overexposing themselves to the sun. No matter which of these proves to be true, Dr. Kimball recommended that families with a history of rosacea be vigilant about protecting themselves—and their children—from sunburns. She also urged rosacea patients to seek treatment for their condition from a dermatologist as soon as symptoms appear.

Source: American Academy of Dermatology

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 22nd, 2009 at 5:55 pm and is filed under Causes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.