A link between rosacea and the development of dementia has been uncovered in a new Danish study.
A team at the University of Copenhagen investigated the association because the skin disorder, which is characterised by an over expression of specific proteins, including matrix metalloproteinases and antimicrobial peptides.
These are also involved in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, the researchers say.
The study, published in the Annals of Neurology, describes how the team followed 5,591,718 Danish adults between from 1997, of whom 82,439 had rosacea, until 31 December, 2012.
A total of 99,040 individuals developed dementia, of whom 29,193 were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Patients with rosacea had a 7% increased risk of dementia and a 25% increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease compared with individuals without rosacea.
Women had a 28% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease if they had rosacea, compared to 16% of men. The risk increased with age only after the age of 60 onwards, according to the findings.
And when risk analyses were limited only to patients who’d received a hospital dermatologist diagnosis of rosacea, the increased risks of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease were 42% and 92%, respectively.
“A subtype of patients have prominent neurological symptoms such as burning and stinging pain in the skin, migraines, and neuropsychiatric symptoms, suggesting a link between rosacea and neurological diseases,” said lead author Alexander Egeberg.
“Indeed, emerging evidence suggests that rosacea may be linked with neurological disorders including Parkinson’s disease and now also Alzheimer’s disease. There are certain mechanistic overlaps between rosacea and Alzheimer’s disease that may explain the observed association, albeit the pathogenic links between these conditions are still unclear.”
Dr Egeberg said the results may provide new insights into the link between the skin and neurodegenerative disorders, although he cautioned that further research is needed.
Egeberg A, Hansen PR, Gislason G et al. Patients with rosacea have increased risk of dementia. Annals of Neurology. 28 April, 2016. DOI:10.1002/ana.24645. [abstract]
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