A recent study published in the British Journal of Dermatology has linked rosacea (a common facial skin condition) to various gastrointestinal disorders, which may help physicians who make gastroenterology diagnoses.
1. While other studies have suggested pathogenic links between rosacea and gastrointestinal disorders, data is still limited.
2. This study analyzes a nationwide cohort, including 49,475 patients with rosacea and 4,312,213 general population controls.
3. The researchers investigated the association between rosacea and six gastrointestinal disorders – celiac disease, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, Helicobactor pylori infection, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and irritable bowel syndrome.
4. All six of the gastrointestinal disorders had a higher prevalence among patients with rosacea when compared with the control subjects.
5. The pathogenic link between rosacea and these gastrointestinal diseases is still unknown, and is a potential area for further study. However, this study suggests that physicians should pay particular attention to patients with rosacea who voice gastrointestinal complaints, since they may be at higher risk for these diseases.