Use of proton pump inhibitors and risk of rosacea: A nationwide population‐based study

Association Between Acid-Suppressive Drugs and Risk of Rosacea: Retrospective Study Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort

BACKGROUND

Rosacea is a common inflammatory skin disease with multiple etiologies. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RA) are acid suppressive drugs widely used for gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, and long-term use has been reported to be associated with dysbiosis which is a potential risk for development of rosacea. This study aimed to study the association between rosacea and acid suppressants in the Korean national cohort.

METHODS

We used Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort data of 749,166 patients with upper GI diseases between 2001 and 2013. Duration of acid suppressants was compared between patients with and without rosacea together with other sociodemographic characteristics and hazard ratios were estimated.

RESULTS

Longer use of acid suppressants was significantly associated with increased risk of rosacea. After adjustment for possible confounders, increased cumulative defined daily dose was significantly associated with risk of rosacea (odds ratio [OR], 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20-2.00; P = 0.001). Other factors significantly associated with risk of rosacea include residing in the rural area (OR, 2.58; 95% CI, 2.18-3.06; P < 0.001), greater Charlson Comorbidity Index score (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.15-1.83; P = 0.002), and comorbidities (malignancy, thyroid disease, and depression).

CONCLUSION

Results from our study indicate that H2RA or PPI is associated with the occurrence of rosacea among patients with GI diseases in the Korean population. The risk was increased in dose-dependent manner, even after adjusting for confounding variables. Clinicians should be aware of risks associated with prolonged use of acid suppressive drugs.

Effect and Safety of ALA-PDT Combined with 1550 nm Fractional Therapy Laser in Treating Rosacea

Objective

To explore the clinical effect and safety of 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) combined with 1550 nm fractional laser therapy in the treatment of rosacea.

Methods

114 patients with type I and type II rosacea treated in our hospital from March 2018 to April 2020 were recruited. They were randomly assigned (1 : 1 : 1) to receive ALA-PDT (photodynamic group), 1550 nm fractional laser (laser group), or ALA-PDT and 1550 nm fractional laser therapy (combination group). Outcome measures included skin lesion scores, efficacy, and adverse reactions.

Results

After treatment, patients in the three groups showed lower skin lesion scores than before treatment, and the combination group showed significantly lower results than the other groups (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the total efficacy among the three groups (P > 0.05), but the combination group outperformed the other groups in the comparison of the efficacy levels (P < 0.05). Edema with lupus erythematosus, pain, and burning sensation was found in some cases but disappeared within 2 to 4 days after symptomatic treatment without interference with subsequent treatment. No patients had pigmentation, hypopigmentation, scars, or other serious adverse reactions.

Conclusion

In the treatment of rosacea, ALA-PDT combined with a 1550 nm fractional laser can reduce redness and facilitate skin remodeling, with high efficacy and safety, so it is worthy of clinical promotion and application.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and the Associated Risk of Autoimmune Skin Diseases: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is known as a risk factor for various immune-related disorders; however, the association between PTSD and related autoimmune skin diseases (ASDs) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association of PTSD with the risk of related ASDs.

METHODS

Participants were recruited from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. We included 9801 patients with PTSD and 39,204 matched controls to assess the risk of developing ASDs. Cox regression model was used for analyses.

RESULTS

After adjusting for confounders, we found an increased risk of ASDs among the patients with PTSD (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 3.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.21-4.07) compared with that among matched controls. Statistically significant associations were found between PTSD and five individual ASDs, including psoriasis (aHR = 3.81, 95% CI = 1.90-7.67), lichen planus (aHR = 31.63, 95% CI = 4.00-249.91), alopecia areata (aHR = 4.77, 95% CI = 2.47-9.20), autoimmune bullous diseases (aHR = 9.55, 95% CI = 1.98-45.99), and vitiligo (aHR = 16.06, 95% CI = 4.48-57.54).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with PTSD had an increased risk of developing ASDs compared with the matched controls. Further studies are needed for better understanding of the underlying mechanisms.

Association between vitiligo and subsequent risk of dementia: A population-based cohort study

Increasing evidence suggests a positive association between autoimmune disorders and the subsequent risk of dementia, supporting the idea that neuroinflammation is a major contributor to dementia. However, whether or not adults with vitiligo have an increased risk of dementia remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the association between vitiligo and the subsequent risk of dementia. A total of 1320 patients with vitiligo and 5280 matched controls were identified from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database between 1998 and 2011. Dementia was diagnosed by board-certificated psychiatrists or neurologists in the follow-up period. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) after controlling for age, sex, income-related monthly premium, residence and comorbidities associated with dementia. The incidence rate of dementia (per 100 000 person-years) was 502.8 among patients with vitiligo and 101.9 among the controls. Patients with vitiligo were more likely to develop any type of dementia (aHR, 5.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.30-8.51), Alzheimer's disease (aHR, 12.22; 95% CI, 3.71-40.28) and vascular dementia (aHR, 3.99; 95% CI, 1.31-12.15) compared with the controls. In conclusion, middle-aged and old patients with vitiligo are more likely to develop dementia compared with those without vitiligo. This novel finding reminds physicians to be more careful about signs of dementia when managing patients with vitiligo and provides the basis for further investigations that clarify the underlying mechanisms.