The Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet

An Evidence-Based Approach
2015, Pages 533-543
The Mediterranean Diet

Chapter 48 - The Association Between Diet and Acne: The Specific Protective Value Derived from the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern Adherence

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Abstract

Aim

To investigate the effects of adherence to the Mediterranean diet and familial dysmetabolisms on acne development.

Methods

A community-based case-control study was carried out in Italy enrolling acneic outpatients of a dermatological ambulatory service as cases and clinically healthy acne-free subjects as controls. Food consumption was evaluated with a validated food-frequency questionnaire. Adherence to the traditional Mediterranean diet was assessed by a 10-point Mediterranean diet scale that incorporated the main characteristics of this diet. A logistic regression analysis estimated the variables that predicted the odds of being a case, using those variables that at the univariate analysis yielded a p-value < 0.25. Results are presented as odds ratio (OR) or adjusted OR (AOR).

Results

The study included 93 cases (36.6% males, median age 17 years) and 200 controls (32% males, median age 16 years). The Mediterranean Diet Score ≥ 6 revealed a protective effect toward acne (crude OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.08–0.64). Logistic regression analysis showed that familial hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and hypertension are strong risk factors for acne (AOR 8.79, 95% CI 1.67–46.22; 3.32, 95% CI 1.27–8.63; and 2.73, 95% CI 1.07–6.96, respectively), while the Mediterranean diet represents a protective factor (score ≥ 6, AOR 0.31, 95% CI 0.11-0.89).

Conclusions

The odds for familial dysmetabolisms was higher in cases than in controls, confirming their role in determining or maintaining acne. Moreover, this is the first study demonstrating a protective role of the Mediterranean diet in the pathogenesis of acne.

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