Alterations in the lipid profile in acne vulgaris patients: A meta-analysis

ObjectivePrevious studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding alterations in lipid profiles among patients with acne vulgaris (acne). This meta-analysis aimed to resolve these inconsistencies.MethodsA systematic search was conducted in Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed. Lipid profile levels were compared between patients with acne and healthy controls. Mean values and standard deviations for total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein were used to calculate standardized mean differences with 95% confidence intervals.ResultsA total of 916 articles were initially identified, of which 38 studies comprising 2485 patients met the eligibility criteria. The pooled analysis demonstrated that patients with acne had significantly higher levels of total cholesterol (pooled standardized mean difference = 0.92, 95% confidence interval: 0.55-1.28), triglycerides (pooled standardized mean difference = 0.82, 95% confidence interval: 0.51-1.14), and low-density lipoprotein (pooled standardized mean difference = 1.52, 95% confidence interval: 1.11-1.92) as well as significantly lower high-density lipoprotein levels (pooled standardized mean difference = -0.45, 95% confidence interval: -0.69 to -0.21). Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were performed to identify the sources of significant heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses further revealed significant alterations in lipid profiles among female patients and in studies conducted in Egypt and Saudi Arabia.ConclusionAlterations in lipid profiles were observed in patients with acne.