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Rosacea may be tied to increased risk for inflammatory bowel disease

There was an increased risk for inflammatory bowel disease in patients with rosacea, according to study results published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Researchers in Taiwan used the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database to identify 89,356 patients with rosacea and 178,712 matched patients without rosacea (reference cohort) between 1997 and 2013 for analysis. The two cohorts were compared for cumulative incidences of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Diagnostic codes in the format of the International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification were used for diagnoses.

There were 16 patients (0.018%) in the rosacea cohort and 37 patients (0.02%) in the reference cohort who developed IBD. The rosacea cohort had a 15-year cumulative IBD incidence of 0.036% (95% CI, 0-1.57), while the reference cohort had a cumulative IBD incidence of 0.019% (95% CI, 0-0.83). Independent associations with IBD, after adjusting for major comorbidities, included rosacea (HR = 1.94; 95% CI, 1.04-3.63) and male gender (HR = 3.52; 95% CI, 2.03-6.11).

There was a decrease in the incidence rate of IBD with increased antibiotic use in patients with rosacea; however, it did not reach statistical significance.

“This nationwide cohort study provided evidence of an association between rosacea and incident IBD,” the researchers concluded. “The link between long-term antibiotic use and development of IBD needs further investigation.”  – by Bruce Thiel

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.