Rosacea’s Surprising Genetic Link

Nely Aldrich, M.D.Rosacea is a chronic skin disease of unclear etiology with limited treatment options. A recent study1 of twins however has uncovered a definite genetic link in rosacea, shedding some light on this historically poorly understood disease.Researchers found that the disease occurs much more frequently in identical twins when compared with fraternal twins, and beyond this genetic predisposition, a significant association was also seen with a number of environmental as well as lifestyle factors that can exacerbate the disease.This new data can help clinicians better understand the disease and could potentially help lead to a more effective treatment and management of rosacea.“Rosacea research is still in its infancy and there’s not a whole lot we know about the disease but fortunately, this is slowly changing for the better,” according to Nely Aldrich, M.D., department of dermatology, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, and main author of the study.Read more at Dermatology Times.