Rosacea linked to Parkinson’s disease

Rosacea may increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease (PD), according to an analysis of 5.4 million adults in a Danish database.

The database included 22,387 PD patients (43.8% women; mean age at diagnosis 75.9 years) and 68,053 people with rosacea (67.2% women; mean age 42.2 years). PD incidence was 3.54 and 7.62 per 10,000 person-years in the reference and rosacea groups respectively. The adjusted risk of PD was 71% higher in patients with rosacea. PD risk was doubled in patients with ocular rosacea (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 2.03). Tetracyclines, used to treat rosacea, slightly, but significantly, reduced PD risk (IRR 0.98 for each filled prescription).