Role of insulin resistance and diet in acne

Abstract

There is increasing evidence in support of the interplay of growth hormone (GH), insulin, and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signaling during puberty, which have a causal role in pathogenesis of acne by influencing adrenal and gonadal androgen metabolism. Milk consumption and hyperglycemic diets can induce insulin and IGF-1-mediated PI3K Akt-activation inducing sebaceous lipogenesis, sebocyte, and keratinocyte proliferation, which can aggravate acne. Occurence of acne as part of various syndromes also provides evidence in favor of correlation between IGF-1 and acne.