As a first step in a unique undertaking to boost rosacea research results by standardizing its study, a group of investigators including 63 experts from 17 countries as well as 25 rosacea patients have identified eight key aspects of the treatment or experience of rosacea, called core domains. Their use is expected to make it easier than ever for researchers, clinicians and pharmaceutical companies to amass meaningful information on how to better diagnose and treat this widespread disorder, according to a recent report in the journal JAMA Dermatology.¹

A recent study published in Frontiers in Immunology examined whether bacteria residing on the skin and in the gut may play a role in the development of a broad range of skin diseases, including acne vulgaris, alopecia areata, androgenic alopecia, hidradenitis suppurativa, pilonidal cyst, rosacea, rhinophyma, and seborrheic dermatitis.¹ The investigators used an analysis technique known as bi-directional Mendelian randomization to identify 294 varieties of bacteria on the skin and 211 in the gut.

For the first time, a new study from China shows that the presence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a well-known comorbidity of rosacea, as well as its subtypes, Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), may lead to rosacea, according to the report published in the scientific journal Nature Scientific Reports.¹

Dermatologists discussed advanced medical therapies for rosacea and presented data on their tolerability and rapid effectiveness at the 2023 American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting in New Orleans.

A pair of new studies help establish the relative prevalence of signs and symptoms of the eyes of rosacea patients (ocular rosacea), as well as the importance of medical therapy.

In a new NRS grant-funded study, researchers have found that ulcerative colitis, a type of digestive disorder, is two times more likely to be present in individuals with rosacea compared to those without rosacea.

A recent NRS-funded study found that a computer-assisted analysis tool may improve the visual assessment practices that dermatologists use to evaluate rosacea.¹ This initial research increases the possibility that doctors and rosacea sufferers may one day have access to technology that is less subjective and variable than today’s most common diagnostic methods.

Editor’s note: It’s important to note that these findings only suggest a potential association. To determine any cause and effect relationship, further study is required.

A recent Chinese study evaluating the potential relationship between rosacea and diet found that frequent consumption of fatty foods and tea may be associated with the development of rosacea symptoms, while frequent dairy consumption appeared to be negatively correlated with the disorder. The findings may be useful in developing dietary guidelines for rosacea sufferers, the researchers said. 

Every person is host to a natural mix of bacteria, fungi and viruses — they are normal inhabitants of the skin, known as the skin microbiome. But the makeup of that community may be very different in those with rosacea, according to the results of a recent NRS-funded study comparing the bacteria found on the faces of rosacea patients and people without the condition.

The NRS Research Grants Program has awarded funding for a new study in addition to continued support for three ongoing studies in its mission to help increase knowledge and understanding of the causes and other key aspects of rosacea that may lead to improvement in its management, prevention or potential cure.