Monday, June 16, 2008

Rosacea News May 2008

Rosacea News May 2008

1. combining Azithromycin with Protopic (tacrolimus) topical

This paper details a somewhat exotic combination therapy: oral azithromycin and topical tacrolimus. It offers an alternative to the more common doxycycline + metrogel combination. The authors mention that this is not a first line therapy; "a combination of oral azithromycin and …

2 Flushing: it’s all in your nerves and emotions

In November 2006 I blogged about taking part in some research at Murdoch University investigating the relationship between stress and the flushing of rosacea. Recently the researcher, Daphne Su, has thanked the trial participants by circulating a summary document. The research has been written up as a thesis so this summary was a short description of some the …

3. Low Level Light Therapy details posted

TP has posted an update to her Low Level Light Therapy- an overview thread at the Rosacea Support Forum.

This recent update is from a document called Cellular Mechanisms of Low-Power Laser Therapy.

Thanks for the update TP. This thread is worth a read for those interested in Low Level Light Therapy (LLLT) such as LEDs, infrared, red and blue light.

4. Marketing company seeks interviews in Houston, TX

Schlesinger Associates are looking for rosacea patients on Friday June 13 2008, to attend an interview for an hour at their Galleria Area location in Houston TX. Their address is 1455 West Loop South, Suite 500. …

5. Google Health Launches, rosacea is included as a condition

Google has been talking for a while about their push into health services. One of their stated features of Google Health is "Learn about health issues and find helpful resources: Review trusted information on diseases and conditions and learn about possible medication interactions and other topics to talk your doctors about." As part of their new offering Google Health has created some Condition References. …

6. does using a computer screen worsen rosacea symptoms ?

Rosacea sufferers sometimes bring up the topic of computer screens and indeed lighting in general as a trigger for their rosacea. Sadly there seems to be little conclusive literature available on this topic. A 1985 study in Norway, Does visual display terminal work provoke rosacea? was able to show that rosacea and seborrheic dermatitis sufferers were over represented in …

7. cathelicidins regulated by Vitamin D3

Another paper stemming from the partly NRS funded research into the role of cathelicidins and its role in rosacea. A lot of publicity and publications have resulted from Dr. Gallo’s research. This avenue of research into rosacea looks promising so lets hope that more resources target involved with this area of research. Those that interested in the role that Vitamin D3 play …

8. metrogel also works for seborrheic dermatitis

This paper found that 0.75% metrogel worked just as well as ketoconazole 2% cream in treating SD. The study found that both were able to offer significant improvement with similar side effects. The authors suggest that because there is so little evidence of anti fungal activity of metronidazole, it is difficult to speculate …

9. Sebclair for seborrheic dermatitis

This recently published paper investigates the effectiveness of a `novel steroid-free cream containing multiple active ingredients’, called Sebclair to treat facial seborrheic dermatitis.

This product sounds quite interesting for rosacea and rosacea/SD sufferers. Little information about Sebclair is currently available on the internet.

10. SIBO eradication clears rosacea: are you serious ?

This sort of abstract just make me shake my head. If you read quickly you will think that this abstract suggests that Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) causes rosacea. What this abstract is saying that is that rosacea sufferers seem to have a higher incidence of SIBO than non rosacea sufferers. The secondary result is that eliminating SIBO clears rosacea. Well that is no surprise …

11. Pycnogenol Redness Reducing Serum: any reviews ?

Pycnogenol® is the patented trade name for a water extract of the bark of the French maritime pine ( Pinus pinaster  ssp.  atlantica ), which is grown in coastal south-west France. Pycnogenol® contains oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) as well as several other bioflavonoids: catechin, epicatechin, phenolic fruit acids (such as ferulic acid and caffeic acid), and taxifolin. Procyanidins are oligometric catechins found at high concentrations in red wine, grapes, cocoa, cranberries, apples, and some supplements such as Pycnogenol®.