Accutane increases Cholesterol

Accutane a drug used for severe acne has shown some unfavourable side effects in recent studies. New research has found elevated cholesterol levels in 31 percent of patients taking the drug. In addition 44 percent had elevated triglyceride levels and 11 percent had elevated liver enzymes, an indicator of liver damage. The study published in Archives of Dermatology, included nearly 14,000 patients between ages 13 to 50 years who took Accutane between March 1995 and September 2002. The study found that in most cases, the blood test results would return to normal once the patient was taken off the drug. Currently, Accutane is the most effective acne treatment, with 89 percent of patients reporting significant improvements. Nonetheless, the use of Accutane has been surrounded by controversy since its approval to treat acne. Side effects, such as birth defects in infants born to mothers on the drug during pregnancy have been known, but were thought to occur in a small percentage of patients. Additional research is needed to investigate the long term affects of Accutane use among kids and teens, to assess if the elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels increase their risk for cardiovascular disease when they are older.