Rosacea prevalence in Lithuania - population based study

Introduction and objectives Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition with varying prevalence and multifactorial etiology. Recent data suggest that rosacea may be more common in diverse populations, with prevalence rates of 4.0% in East Asia, 3.5% in Latin America and 3.1% in Europe [1]. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of rosacea and its association with demographic risk factors in Lithuanian population. Materials and methods A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted in Kaunas, the second largest city in Lithuania, located in the southern part of the country (population: 304.210 residents). Participants (n=3131) were randomly selected from the population register of Kaunas city. Clinical signs of rosacea such us persistent erythema, phymatous changes, telangiectasia, flushing, inflammatory papules and pustules on the face were examined according to the American National Rosacea Society Expert Committee (NRSEC, 2017) classification. Rosacea for each subject was established, if at least one clinical sign was present. Other data were collected through structured questionnaires (sunscreen use, smoking) and clinical assessment (demographic and phenotypic characteristics, body mass index (BMI)). Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics, Version 30.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) and included chi-square test and logistic regression. A pvalue <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results A total of 3131 participants (mean age 49.3 ± 11.1 years, 55.4% female) were included. Rosacea was identified in 61 individuals, corresponding to a prevalence of 1.95% (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.49- 2.50%, mean age 49.6 ± 10.8 years). Both genders were affected with prevalence of 1.6% among men (95% CI 1.00-2.40%) and 2.2% among women (95% CI 1.59-3.04%). The highest prevalence was observed in the 30-45 age group (2.3%, 95% CI 1.45-3.35%). The prevalence of rosacea among individuals with normal BMI was 2.2% (95% CI 1.44-3.25%), and those with BMI ≥ 25.0, correspondingly 1.8%, (95% CI 1.27-2.50%), and the majority of rosacea cases (59.0%, 95% CI 45.68-71.45%) were observed in participants with BMI ≥ 25.0. Conclusions Both genders were affected with rosacea prevalence of 1.6% among men (95% CI 1.00-2.40%) and 2.0% among women (95% CI 1.59-3.04%). The highest prevalence was observed in the 30-45 age group (2.3%, 95% CI 1.45-3.35%).