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Rosacea Risk Factors Includes Family History
November 2, 2009
A recent study evaluated various risk factors associated with the development of rosacea. Although rosacea is a common disease, the cause of disease is still a mystery – Helicobacter pylori infection, genetic predisposition, climatic factors, and detrimental habits are implicated as triggers of rosacea. The study, published in the October 23 issue of European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology found that rosacea patients were more than 4 times more likely to have a familial predisposition to the rosacea compared with people with normal skin.
In addition, they were nearly two times more likely to be ex-smokers than current smokers or non-smokers and to have a more photosensitive skin type than controls. There were no statistically significant differences either in gender, Helicobacter pylori serostatus, caffeine intake, alcohol consumption, occupational environment, or education level between rosacea patients and controls. The authors concluded that rosacea is foremost associated with familial history. Read more about rosacea risk factors.
Family History and Higher Incidence of Sunburns Associated With Rosacea
At the recent 67th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, researchers disclosed their findings that people with rosacea were three times more likely to have a family member with rosacea compared to the control group. Specifically, 34 percent of rosacea subjects reported a family member with rosacea versus 10.5 percent of control subjects.
In families with a history of rosacea, the study's author advised parents to consistently protect children from sun exposure with a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or higher and to practice other sun-safe behaviors in order to minimize the risk of sunburns. From her research, it could not be determined if sunburns were a contributing factor to rosacea or if patients with rosacea were more likely to sunburn due to the nature of their skin condition. In either case, she noted that these preventative measures could help lessen the severity of rosacea.
Learn more about this rosacea study from the American Academy of Dermatology.
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