Measures of obesity were significantly associated with an increased risk for incident rosacea in women, according to a recent study. A total of 89,886 participants were included from the Nurses’ Health Study II (1991-2005). Information on history of clinician-diagnosed rosacea and year of diagnosis was collected in 2005 and data on obesity were collected biennially during follow-up. Researchers found:

• Over 14 years of follow-up, they identified 5,249 incident cases of rosacea.
• The risk for rosacea was elevated for those with increased body mass index (BMI).
• Compared with a BMI of 21.0-22.9 kg/m², the hazard ratio of rosacea was 1.48 for a BMI≥35.0.
• There was a trend toward an increased risk for rosacea among participants who had gained weight after age 18, with a hazard ratio of 1.04 per 10-pound weight gain.
• There was a significantly increased risk for rosacea associated with higher waist circumference and hip circumference, and the associations appeared to be independent of BMI.