Physical activity may reduce clinical presentation, severity of papulopustular acne

Regular physical activity in young women with papulopustular acne helps to reduce the clinical presentation and severity of acne, according to a presentation at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress.

“Acne is one of the most common skin diseases in the general population. Clinical observations and experimental data have confirmed the role of sex hormones in the pathophysiology of acne,” K.S. Tkachyshyna, of O.O. Bogomolets National Medical University, Ukraine, and colleague wrote. “[The] aim of the study was to establish the effect of regular physical activity on progesterone level and the severity of comedogenic, mild/moderate papulopustular acne during the luteinizing phase of the menstrual cycle.”

The researchers examined 72 women with comedogenic and mild/moderate papulopustular acne, 34 who had been exercising regularly for 3 months and 38 controls who had not been exercising regularly. Clinical examination of acne lesions and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of plasma concentration of progesterone were performed during the luteinizing phase of the menstrual cycle.

Study results showed a significant difference in acne severity between the two groups (P < .001), with mean plasma level of progesterone of 32.9 nmol/L in the exercise group vs. 55.9 nmol/L in the control group (P < .05).

“It was established that regular physical activity in patients with comedogenic and mild/moderate papulopustular acne helps to reduce significantly the plasma level of progesterone, a testosterone precursor, which is crucial in the pathogenesis, clinical presentation and severity of acne,” the authors wrote.