Rosacea is a common dermatological condition that affects 0,5 – 1 % of the general population. It can be classified in stages 1 (redness and microvessels), 2 (lumps) and 3 (deformities in the nose, the so-called "rhinophyma").
Rosacea is an important cause of distress and social withdrawal. Around 60% of individuals with stage 1 and 85% of those with stage 3 report bad influences of the disease in their social life – refusal of spicy/hot food and alcoholic/caffeinated beverages is quite common (as they trigger flare-ups).
Treatment is symptomatic, not curative. Conventional treatments include topical antibiotics (metronidazole), topical azelaic acid and oral antibiotics (tetracyclines and erythromycin).
Recent studies are introducing BRIMONIDINE TARTRATE as a new promising therapeutic option: it is a vasoconstrictor that acts selectively on the alpha2 adrenergic receptor. This drug is used topically once daily, at a concentration of 0,5%. Reduction of redness can already be seen 30 minutes after the application; studies suggest a maximum effect somewhere between 6 and 12 hours later. Another vasoconstrictor, called OXYMETAZOLINE, is also currently being investigated for this same purpose.
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