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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Patients who take the acne medicine isoretinoin -- commonly marketed as Accutane -- may have higher cholesterol and liver enzyme levels more often than previously thought.
Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, analyzed the frequency of abnormal lab tests in 13,772 acne patients who took isoretinoin between 1995 and 2002. The study reveals participants on isoretinoin are more at risk for higher triglyceride, total cholesterol and liver enzyme levels.
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Among those who had normal blood tests before they took the drug, 44 percent developed high triglycerides, 31 percent developed high cholesterol, and 11 percent developed high liver enzymes while they were taking isoretinoin.
The authors write that the abnormal levels only seemed to be present while the patient was taking Accutane. Many of the patients returned to normal or slightly elevated levels after stopping the treatment.
The study says the Accutane package insert notes 25 percent of patients develop elevated triglycerides and 15 percent elevated liver enzymes. Previous research shows elevated triglycerides in 5 percent to 18 percent and elevated total cholesterol in 6 percent to 32 percent of patients taking the drug.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Archives of Dermatology, 2006;142:1016-1022
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