Rosacea in Patients With Diabetes Increases the Risk of Eye Diseases
According to a study published in The Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology, patients with diabetes and rosacea are at an increased risk for diabetic macular edema, dry eye disease, glaucoma, and cataract.
Researchers investigated the relationship between rosacea and eye diseases in patients with diabetes in a retrospective cohort study. Claims data from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan were used in the study, which included Taiwanese patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus between January 1, 1997, and December 31, 2013, using any hypoglycemic agents. The patients were divided into rosacea and nonrosacea groups, and 1:4 propensity score matching was performed. The Fine and Gray subdistribution hazard model was used to compare the risk of time-to-event outcome between the 2 groups. Primary outcomes included new-onset ocular diseases and ocular interventions.
A total of 4096 patients with rosacea and 16 384 patients without rosacea were included in the study. Risks of diabetic macular edema [subdistribution hazard ratio (SHR): 1.31, 95% CI: 1.05–1.63], glaucoma with medical treatment (SHR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.01–1.21), and dry eye disease (SHR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.38–1.75) were higher in patients with rosacea than those without rosacea. The risk of cataract surgery (SHR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.02–1.25) was also higher in the rosacea group compared with the nonrosacea group. The risks of developing ocular diseases increased over time, according to a cumulative incidence analysis.
“Rosacea is associated with diabetic macular edema, glaucoma, dry eye disease, and cataract development in [patients with diabetes], as well as increased risks of psoriasis, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, and depression,” concluded the study authors.
Reference
Wang FY, Kang EY, Liu CH, et al. Diabetic patients with rosacea increase the risks of diabetic macular edema, dry eye disease, glaucoma, and cataract. Asia Pac J Ophthalmol (Phila). 2022;11(6):505-513. doi:10.1097/APO.0000000000000571
