A pair of new studies help establish the relative prevalence of signs and symptoms of the eyes of rosacea patients (ocular rosacea), as well as the importance of medical therapy.

In a new NRS grant-funded study, researchers have found that ulcerative colitis, a type of digestive disorder, is two times more likely to be present in individuals with rosacea compared to those without rosacea.

A recent NRS-funded study found that a computer-assisted analysis tool may improve the visual assessment practices that dermatologists use to evaluate rosacea.¹ This initial research increases the possibility that doctors and rosacea sufferers may one day have access to technology that is less subjective and variable than today’s most common diagnostic methods.

Editor’s note: It’s important to note that these findings only suggest a potential association. To determine any cause and effect relationship, further study is required.

A recent Chinese study evaluating the potential relationship between rosacea and diet found that frequent consumption of fatty foods and tea may be associated with the development of rosacea symptoms, while frequent dairy consumption appeared to be negatively correlated with the disorder. The findings may be useful in developing dietary guidelines for rosacea sufferers, the researchers said. 

Every person is host to a natural mix of bacteria, fungi and viruses — they are normal inhabitants of the skin, known as the skin microbiome. But the makeup of that community may be very different in those with rosacea, according to the results of a recent NRS-funded study comparing the bacteria found on the faces of rosacea patients and people without the condition.

The NRS Research Grants Program has awarded funding for a new study in addition to continued support for three ongoing studies in its mission to help increase knowledge and understanding of the causes and other key aspects of rosacea that may lead to improvement in its management, prevention or potential cure.

Editor’s note: It’s important to note that these findings only suggest a potential association. To determine any cause and effect relationship, further study is required.

Recent comorbidity studies have found associations between rosacea and increased risk for breast and brain cancer.

A new advance in the understanding of mast cells, located at the interface between the nervous and vascular systems, in the development of rosacea is at the center of a recent study funded by a National Rosacea Society research grant and conducted by a team led by Dr. Anna Di Nardo, professor of medicine at the University of California-San Diego.

A recent study may have those at risk for rosacea racing to refill their coffee mugs: A team of Brown University researchers led by Dr. Wen-Qing Li found that the more caffeinated coffee women drank, the lower their risk was for developing rosacea.

A recent study analyzing the genetic data of thousands of rosacea patients has pinpointed seven genomic regions potentially associated with rosacea symptom severity.¹ This builds off information gathered in a similar study funded by the NRS, which identified two genetic loci, or specific regions on chromosomes, linked to rosacea.² These are some of the first genome-wide association studies on rosacea, an exciting area of research which could lead to the identification of potential new pathways for treatment.