Acne as a warning sign of diabetes

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With acne not only the hormonal balance gets mixed up, but also the metabolism. The skin disease may be an indication of insulin resistance.

Acne is the most common skin disease worldwide. In adolescents, it is primarily a sign of the hormonal changes that are taking place in the body. Mohit Nagpal and his colleagues from the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh discovered that pimples, pustules and blackheads are also linked to diabetes. For their study, the researchers examined the metabolism of 100 male acne patients between the ages of 20 and 32 with four different degrees of severity of the skin disease. As many men without skin problems served as the control group.

High blood sugar levels

The result: the young men who struggled with pimples had, on average, higher blood sugar levels than those without skin changes. In addition, insulin resistance was found more often in acne patients: in 22 percent versus 11 percent in the control group. Insulin resistance is also known as pre-diabetes. The cells react increasingly poorly to the messenger substance insulin. Even if this pre-diabetes is usually symptom-free, it does mean that someone is at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Incidentally, the researchers did not find a connection with weight - which is considered to be one of the main risk factors for type 2 diabetes. The kilos the scales showed and the body mass index were comparable in the acne patients and the control group. However, there were differences in weight within the group with the skin disease depending on the severity of the acne. Men in the heaviest form weighed an average of ten kilograms more than those in the lightest form.

Prevention recommended

The authors of the study recommend that acne patients have their blood sugar level checked regularly in order to detect possible type 2 diabetes at an early stage. Because diagnosed in the early stages, the disease is easier to treat or can be prevented entirely. A further investigation has yet to show whether the results can also be transferred to women.

With acne, pustules, pimples and blackheads form on the face, and more rarely on the back and cleavage. Most often adolescents are affected during puberty. In four percent of the population, however, the skin disease also occurs in adulthood and can then have a variety of causes. (away)

Source: Nagpal M. et al .: Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndrome in Young Men With Acne, JAMA Dermatology 2015, December 23, 2015.

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