In the pathophysiology of severe, resistant acne and hirsutism, insulin resistance (IR) has come to light as a significant contributing, if not causal, event, says an article published in the Indian Dermatology Online Journal.

Even though they are common and simple to cure, hirsutism and acne can dramatically alter how someone feels about themselves. Although there has been a significant paradigm change in our understanding of the pathophysiology of acne and hirsutism—one of which is insulin resistance—ample research is still being done in this area. In order to establish a causal correlation between IR and acne vulgaris and hirsutism as well as to evaluate the severity of the two with rising IR, Avanita Solanki and colleagues did this study.

In the dermatology division, cross-sectional observational research was carried out. In order to establish a correlation between IR and acne with/without hirsutism and hirsutism alone, a detailed clinical history of the patient as well as necessary data, such as height, weight, body mass index (BMI), etc., were recorded in a predefined proforma. These data also included signs and symptoms of underlying IR, acne severity measured using the Global Acne Grading System (GAGS), and hirsutism severity measured using Pearson’s correlation test.
The key findings of this study were:
1. The 349 individuals who participated in the study were split into three groups: the acne-only group (N = 308), which demonstrated a statistically significant link between IR and the severity and recurrence of acne.
2. The homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was substantially linked with the modified Ferriman-Gallwey score and recurrence in the hirsutism-only (N = 24) group, indicating that elevated insulin resistance is associated with greater hirsutism severity and recurrence.
3. Higher BMI was shown to be positively linked with IR but not with the severity of both acne and hirsutism (N = 17) disorders.
Reference:
Rangnani, T., Solanki, A., B. Solanki, D., Banker, K., Patel, N., & Modi, K. (2023). Role of insulin resistance in patients of acne vulgaris and hirsutism in the western part of India- A cross-sectional study. In Indian Dermatology Online Journal (Vol. 14, Issue 1, p. 38). Medknow. https://doi.org/10.4103/idoj.idoj_326_22