Comorbidities

Comorbidity is the occurrence of two disorders or illnesses in the same person, at the same time or one after another, and does not necessarily mean that one causes the other. Recent research has found that rosacea patients have a higher incidence of a growing number of potentially serious conditions.

Gastrointestinal disorders that occur more often in patients with rosacea include celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Associated cardiovascular disorders include high cholesterol levels, coronary artery disease and high blood pressure. Other conditions include thyroid cancer, basal cell carcinoma and brain cancer; allergies, respiratory diseases, diabetes, urogenital diseases and female hormone imbalance; Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

While rosacea patients’ overall risk for these diseases is still very low, it’s reasonable for people who are diagnosed with rosacea to seek a general health examination if appropriate.