Researchers have now identified the molecular pathway for flushing caused by niacin -- also known as vitamin B3 or nicotinic acid, and found in many foods -- according to a study recently completed by Dr. Robert Walters and colleagues at Duke University and funded by the National Rosacea Society. The new findings may lead to future improvements in the treatment or prevention of rosacea, which is commonly associated with flushing.

Many of the factors considered potential causes of rosacea are now coming into sharp focus as a result of medical studies funded by the National Rosacea Society (NRS) research grants program, and the growing body of scientific evidence is making major strides toward defining the precise development of this widespread disorder.

Improper use of oral antibiotics, including long-term use over months to years, has resulted in resistant bacteria that are posing a serious health threat, according to Dr. Theodore Rosen, professor of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine, at a recent meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. He also noted that alternative options are available that can minimize this risk.

A new study has found there may be a link between ocular rosacea and bacteria associated with Demodex mites, microscopic inhabitants of normal skin that tend to occur in much greater numbers in those with rosacea.

In the recently published study of 59 rosacea patients, Dr. Jianjing Li and colleagues at the Ocular Surface Center in Miami found a significant correlation between facial rosacea, infestation of the eyes with Demodex mites and reaction to certain mite-related organisms previously shown to stimulate an immune response in rosacea sufferers.¹

The National Rosacea Society (NRS) has awarded funding to three new studies and continues to fund three ongoing studies as part of its research grants program to advance scientific knowledge of the potential causes and other key aspects of this often life-disruptive disorder.

The National Rosacea Society (NRS) has published new standard patient care options for rosacea, developed by a consensus committee and review panel of 26 rosacea experts, and articles on the various options for controlling the many potential aspects of this widespread disorder will appear in the coming issues of Rosacea Review.¹

Individuals with rosacea may have a greater propensity for allergic reactions, according to a poster presented at the recent meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.¹ Dermatologist Dr. Cheryl Ackerman, in private practice in Glen Ridge, N.J., noted that many of her rosacea patients were found to have allergic reactions to ingredients found in products used on their skin, and these were identified with patch testing.

She noted that in patients with rosacea, symptoms improved after the identified substance was avoided.

Results of research funded by donations from members of the National Rosacea Society (NRS) are not only increasing medical understanding of the disorder, but are now revealing potential causes that may lead scientists toward important new advances in therapy.

The same biochemical process that causes people to flush when alarmed or embarrassed may be linked to the development of rosacea, according to findings presented by Dr. Richard Granstein, chairman of dermatology at Cornell University, during the recent Society for Investigative Dermatology annual meeting.

Both a blistering sunburn and a family history of rosacea were associated with the presence of rosacea, according to study results presented by Dr. Alexa Boer Kimball, associate professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School, at the recent annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.¹