Influence of sleep quality and stress on adult women papule-pustule acne

• Grant number: 12/22911-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2013
• End date: January 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biology
• Principal Investigator: Monica Levy Andersen
• Grantee: Rachel Gimenes Rodrigues Albuquerque
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Acne is a disease characterized by inflammation of the pilosebaceous follicles resulting in comedones, papules, and more advanced lesions present mainly on the face and neck. Affects the patient's self-esteem since it's related to the aesthetic concept, especially in the case of adult women. This type of acne can be linked with stress factors and sleep quality. Sleep has a fundamental role in hormone secretion, principally glucocorticoids (closely related to stress). Therefore, there is an interest in finding a correlation between these factors and adult women's acne, to better understand this disease and possibly develop new treatments. For this study, 60 women were selected and distributed into 2 groups: the acne group (patients with acne) and the control group (patients without the disease). The patients will be treated and accompanied by a dermatologist for 6 months. All women will respond to questionnaires that evaluate the menstrual cycle, stress (PSE - 16), and PSQI (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and will submit to blood collection for measurement of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol. This procedure will be done before and after the treatment. The total and free testosterone levels will also be measured to confirm that the patient is normoandrogenic. It is expected that women with acne have an irregular menstrual cycle, high-stress levels, poor sleep quality, and consequently higher levels of ACTH and cortisol than patients without acne. This study seeks to assist the treatment of adult women with acne, to be carried out more effectively, contributing not only to the health of women but also to their quality of life, dependent on good self-esteem.(AU)