Medicijn tegen acne slechter dan gedacht.*
Een veel gebruikt medicijn tegen acne, accutane, doet cholesterol en triclyceride waarden veel vaker stijgen dan eerder gedacht werd. Dit blijkt een onderzoek onder bijna 14.000 mensen die accutane gebruiken. 31% had hoge cholesterolwaarden en 44% had hoge triglyceridenwaarden. Gelukkig zijn deze waarden voor de meeste gebruikers niet blijvend, als men stopt is er 80-90% kans dat deze waarden weer de vroegere waarden bereiken.
Acne
Drug Raises Cholesterol And Triglyceride Levels
Doctors
had always thought that Accutane (isotretinoin), an anti-acne drug, carried with
it a slight risk of raised cholesterol and/or triglyceride levels. However, a
recent study carried out by scientists from the University of California, San
Francisco, has shown that the risk is much higher than had previously been
thought. The study found that 31% of patients taking Accutane ended up with high
cholesterol levels, 44% developed high triglycerides while 11% had high liver
transaminase levels (liver enzymes).
You can read about this study in the journal Archives of Dermatology,
August issue.
Lead author, Dr. Lee T. Zane, said "Having abnormal tests results does not
necessarily signal a bad medical outcome. It's just lab tests, not heart attacks.
Isotretinoin is undeniably the most effective medication we have for treating
severe acne. It can truly be life-changing. We can't lose sight of the fact that
isotretinoin is the most important revolution in medical dermatology in the last
30 years."
Accutane should never be taken by pregnant women as there is a risk of severe
birth defects.
The team looked at 13 772 patents, aged 13-50. They had taken Accutane between
1995-2002. Although the high figures for raised cholesterol, trigliceryde and
liver enzyme levels were surprising, the scientists also noted that not long
after most patients stopped taking the medication their levels returned to what
they were before treatment began. 92% of those with high liver enzymes, 80% of
high triglycerides and 79% of those with high cholesterol returned to
pre-treatment levels soon after treatment was stopped.
There is a risk patients could be at risk of metabolic syndrome, say the
scientists. Doctors should do blood tests on patients taking Accutane. There are
ways of continuing Accutane treatment for patients with abnormal test results -
they could be treated by managing their diet and exercise. Statins can also be
used to keep cholesterol levels down.
The researchers don't know whether children who are taking Accutane have a
higher chance of developing cardiovascular problems when they become adults.
A Population-Based Analysis of Laboratory Abnormalities During Isotretinoin
Therapy for Acne Vulgaris
Lee T. Zane, MD, MAS; Wendy A. Leyden, MPH; Ann L. Marqueling, BA; M. Michele
Manos, PhD, MPH, DVM
Arch Dermatol. 2006;142:1016-1022.
(Aug. 2006) (Opm. Met gezonde voeding met o.a. veel carotenen en zink kan het acne probleem vaak opgelost worden)