There was little information available on how dermatologists prescribe hormonal antiandrogen acne therapy (HAAT). For a study, researchers were to look at dermatologists’ HAAT prescribing behaviors as well as the influence of HAAT on systemic antibiotic usage in acne-prone women. From January 2005 to October 2015, they conducted a retrospective analysis at an academic medical facility on female patients using HAAT (combined oral contraceptive [COC], spironolactone) for acne. Data was gathered from a control group of female acne sufferers who did not receive HAAT.
HAAT was administered to a total of 672 female patients. Antibiotics were used as the first-line therapy for acne in 39% of patients, COCs in 12%, and spironolactone in 21%. Mean antibiotic durations were substantially higher in patients who started HAAT for the first time at the study location (250.4 days) than in patients who started HAAT prior to presentation and continued HAAT at the study site (192.0 days) (P= 0.021). The usage of HAAT was shown to have a statistically significant inverse relationship with mean antibiotic duration (P=0.016).
In women with acne, HAAT was not commonly utilized as a first-line systemic treatment. Shorter cumulative antibiotic durations were related to HAAT use, and early HAAT beginning can reduce systemic antibiotic use in acne therapy.
Reference:link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40257-018-0349-6
