Rosacea (acne rosacea)  is a common skin disease characterized by redness and  often  in small  pus- filled bumps on the face mainly in adults who tend to flush and blush more often in response to triggers such as alcohol, hot or spicy foods, stress and heat including the sun. Therefore, at least # 30  sunscreens applied at least 30 minutes before sun exposure are a must.

                Rosacea  can also exist in an ocular form  resulting in red, watery, and itchy eyes

                 Recent studies indicate a link between many inflammatory conditions in the body  and on the skin including rosacea, psoriasis, and internal diseases with an increased cardiovascular disease risk such as hypertension, coronary artery disease and high cholesterol.

              In addition, this risk of cardiovascular disease in rosacea seems to be higher in male patients than female patients and is manifested by an increase risk of diabetes, stroke and narrowing of the arteries.

               One hypothesis for these findings is that chronic  inflammation may lead to changes in the lipo- proteins which transport cholesterol and other substances in the blood stream, thereby, decreasing their ability to remove cholesterol from the body.

                In my opinion, the main teaching point of all this is for patients with moderate to severe rosacea to get regular checkups with their healthcare practitioner.