For women with rosacea, clinical characteristics, influencing factors, and systemic diseases differ with age of diagnosis, according to a study published online Oct. 13 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology .

Fengjuan Yang, from West China Hospital at Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, and colleagues examined and compared the clinical characteristics of female patients with rosacea in different age groups in a retrospective study of 840 patients. Patients were categorized according to age at diagnosis: 30 years or younger, 31 to 44 years, and 45 years or older.

The researchers found that common symptoms among the cohort included telangiectasia, persistent erythema, burning/stinging sensation, dry sensation, and pruritus (82.6, 82.0, 89.3, 74.0, and 41.9 percent, respectively). Common aggravating factors included hot temperature, emotional changes, spicy food, and sun exposure (89.9, 67.3, 55.6, and 50.7 percent, respectively). Overall, 20.4 percent of the patients had comorbidities of systemic disorders. A total of 48.8 and 35.2 percent of patients presented with anxiety and depression, respectively. Among the different age groups, the clinical characteristics differed significantly. The likelihood of having more serious persistent erythema and telangiectasia was increased for middle-aged and older patients (aged 45 years or older), and they were less affected by some influencing factors. These patients also had more systemic diseases of the digestive system, endocrine metabolic system, and cardiovascular system.

"The clinical characteristics of rosacea are more complex and more difficult to treat in females over the age of 45," the authors write. "Personalized comprehensive therapy should be given according to the clinical characteristics of the different age groups."

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