Review

Rosacea treatments: systematic review with GRADE (2019)

Pooling 152 studies and 20,944 people, high-certainty evidence supports brimonidine for redness and azelaic acid and ivermectin for bumps.

This is the most thorough evidence review of rosacea treatments available: 152 studies covering 20,944 people, each conclusion formally rated for how certain it is. High-certainty evidence backs topical brimonidine for persistent redness, and azelaic acid and ivermectin for papules and pustules. Doxycycline 40 mg and isotretinoin have moderate-to-high certainty behind them. When a review of this size and rigour reaches a high-certainty verdict, further trials are unlikely to change it much.

van Zuuren EJ, Fedorowicz Z, Tan J, et al. Interventions for rosacea based on the phenotype approach: an updated systematic review including GRADE assessments. Br J Dermatol. 2019;181(1):65-79.

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