Acne and Diet: Association and Significance

Abstract

Research Question: Do adults with moderate to severe acne have a higher intake of animal products and fatty/sugary foods when compared to adults with mild or no acne?

Background and Significance: Acne is estimated to be the eighth most prevalent disease worldwide and carries a tremendous negative burden on the quality of life for patients. It has been demonstrated that acne is associated with increased risks of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. There has been an increasing number of research studies aimed at assessing the relationship between diet and acne; however, this is an area that remains controversial and has been debated for years. Since the Western diet is well known for its high caloric intake and high intake of saturated fats, it becomes quite relevant to explore its potential association with acne.

Materials and Methods: Our cross-sectional study consisted of patients at the Arlington Center for Dermatology and current undergraduate students at Texas Christian University to ensure a spectrum of acne severity was included, both untreated and treated. Participants’ acne severity was measured utilizing the Acne Symptom and Impact Scale (ASIS), a validated and reliable patient-reported measure for acne, and participants’ self-reported current acne severity. Participants were also given a detailed questionnaire regarding their dietary intake. The participants’ Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated from self-reported weight and height measurements. Data analysis regarding the ASIS questionnaire scores and its possible correlation with self-reported acne severity was conducted via a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) at an alpha level of 0.05. Data analysis regarding the participants’ ASIS score and their dietary intake was completed utilizing Microsoft Excel and the Analysis ToolPak add-on. The Bonferroni correction was utilized to reduce the risk of type 1 errors in analysis. All error bars report the standard error of the mean.

Results: The participants’ scores on the ASIS questionnaire generally matched with the participant’s self-reported acne severity at a significance level of 0.05, allowing us to utilize the participants’ ASIS scores as a reliable marker of participants’ acne severity. Analysis of BMI versus impact factor resulted in no correlation in a linear plot (r = 0.06). Those who reported an eating frequency of red meat of “several servings per week” and “once per day” had higher ASIS scores than those who reported an intake of “never”. Consumption of artificial sweetener revealed a similar trend in ASIS scores between those who reported an intake of “never” having lower ASIS scores when compared to those who reported an intake of “several servings per month” and “several servings per week”.

Conclusion: Establishing lifestyle-based interventions that are without side-effects can significantly improve quality of life for a vast number of patients and aims to treat underlying causes of acne rather than focusing on symptom management. Dermatologists can use this nutritional study to gain a better understanding of how diet can influence skin health and provide further care for their patients. Lastly, the costs associated with acne exceed $1.2 billion and having a cost-effective treatment option is extremely beneficial.