A comparative study of insulin resistance in acne vulgaris

Abstract

Background: Acne is common skin problem among adolescents and young adults. Recently the role of insulin resistance in acne is being widely researched. The o bjectives of the study were to evaluate insulin resistance in acne, to compare the insulin resistance among cases and controls using homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance Methods: 45 cases and 45 controls were recruited. Acne severity was graded using the global acne grading system(GAGS). Fasting glucose, fasting insulin levels were done and insulin resistance was assessed using homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Results: We did not find any statistically significant difference in fasting insulin levels between cases and controls. However, a weak positive correlation between acne severity and fasting insulin levels (r =0.3, p=0.04) were observed. Fasting glucose levels and HOMA-IR values observed between cases and controls were not statistically significant (p=0.05, p=0.59 respectively). Conclusions: Our study did not suggest a major role of insulin resistance in acne.