Skin Conditions linked to Insulin Resistance

Journal Review:

ScientificWorldJournal. 2015; 2015: 479354.

Published online 2015 Apr 21. doi:  10.1155/2015/479354

Insulin Resistance and Skin Diseases"

Authors: Maddalena Napolitano, * Matteo Megna, and Giuseppe Monfrecola
Section of Dermatology, Department of Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, University Federico II, Napoli, Italy

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Excerpts from the published article:

Skin diseases associated with insulin resistance.

Skin disorders and insulin resistance (IR)
Conditions strongly associated with IR	Conditions potentially associated with IR	Conditions anecdotally linked to IR
Acanthosis nigricans	Acrochordons (skin tags)	Alopecia areata
Acne	Androgenetic alopecia	Vitiligo
Psoriasis	Hidradenitis suppurativa
	Hirsutism
	Hyperandrogenism

• (IR - leads to Hyperinsulinemia which leads to Hyperandrogenism)
• Hyperandrogenism is a common endocrine disorder of women of reproductive age with a prevalence of 5–10%. 
• The most frequent hyperandrogenic-linked disorder is the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It shows an 80–85% prevalence among women with excess androgen and is also closely linked to IR. 
• The clinical signs of hyperandrogenism are very important especially for the dermatologist since they include the following: hirsutism, alopecia, seborrhea, acne, and, in severe cases, signs of virilization (deepening of the voice, increased muscle mass, clitoromegaly, decreased breast size, and amenorrhea), highlighting the wide clinical scenario which is related to IR and hyperinsulinemia.