Teenage boys who suffer from acne may be less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease in later life than their clear skinned peers. Sufferers of the confidence-denting skin condition are one-third less likely to die from coronary heart disease, according to a UK study of 10,000 men.
The researchers believe that the androgens responsible for bringing on acne may have a protective effect on the heart.
Bruna Galobardes, from the department of social medicine at the University of Bristol, UK, and colleagues looked at health data relating to students who attended Glasgow University between 1948 and 1968. The young adults who reported they had or were suffering from acne were 33% less likely to die from coronary heart disease.
“We found that those who had acne were also less likely to smoke, but even when we ruled out this and other factors, we found a very strong correlation between acne in youth and coronary protection later in life,” Galobardes says.
“It is possible that higher androgen levels or higher androgen activity may be linked to lower lipid levels or somehow affect the processes involved in creating arterial plaques,” she adds.
On the negative side, Galobardes told New Scientist that the “results showed a 70% increase in prostate cancer risk, but the results are not statistically conclusive and so chance cannot be ruled out. However, I would say that there may be an increased tendency towards prostate cancer”.
Journal reference: American Journal of Epidemiology (vol 161, p 1094)