Archive for April, 2006

Low-dose isotretinoin effective for moderate acne

Thursday, April 27th, 2006

Low doses of isotretinoin (brand name, Roaccutane or Accutane) are effective for treating moderate acne, according to a study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

?The efficacy of isotretinoin at (regular doses) in the treatment of acne is well established and considered safe, although sometimes not easily tolerated because of its cutaneous side effects,? Dr. Marcelo H. Grunwald, of Soroka University, Beer-Sheva, Israel, and colleagues write.

The researchers tested a lower dose, to see if it worked while reducing side effects, in a study of 638 patients with moderate acne. The participants were divided into two age groups?495 who were 12 to 20 years of age, and 122 who were 21 to 35 years of age?and were treated with 20 milligrams of isotretinoin daily for six months.