Introduction: Acne is considered a multifactorial skin disease secondary to an obstructive process of pilosebaceous units. Some studies suggest a relationship between insulin levels and the presence of acne, but this has not yet been demonstrated.
Objective: To compare the levels of insulin in patients with and without comedonal acne.
Material and methods: From January to July 2012, we conducted a cross-sectional study in the Dr. Ladislao de la Pascua Dermatologic Center in Mexico city. We recruited men and women from 14 to 25 years old with and without comedonal acne. We measured the insulin levels in all patients with DXI 800 Beckman Coulter equipment in a blood sample.
Results: Twenty patients with acne and 20 patients without acne were studied, with an average age of 17 (±3) and 19 (±4) years, respectively. Both groups were different in terms of gender. Body mass index was similar in both groups. We did not find a difference in insulin levels between groups (p=0.818). The average level of insulin was 7.15±4.7 uU/ml for the acne group and 7.85±3.3 uU/mL for the control group.
Conclusion: Insulin levels are similar in patients with and without comedonal acne. There is no direct relationship between hyperinsulinemia and acne.