New research from Turkey suggests that Isotretinoin patients may benefit from B12 and folic acid supplementation. Ayse Serap Karadag, et al, followed 66 patients between the ages of 18 and 40 with acne vulgaris. They measured the subjects’ hemoglobin, creatinine, SGOT, SGPT, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C, LDL-C, VLDL-C, folic acid, vitamin B12, Hcy and HoloTC levels prior to Isotretinoin use and again following four months of treatment. The study, which appeared in the International Journal of Dermatology
(vol. 50; No. 12), showed a significant decrease in vitamin B12, folic acid and HoloTC levels and significantly higher Hcy levels. The researchers postulate that these side effects “might contribute to the missing link between Iso usage, hyperhomocysteinemia and neuropsychiatric disorders. Trials may be made with the aim of demonstrating (clearly) if starting vitamin B12 and folic acid replacement therapies with Iso treatment initialization could be useful for preventing hyperhomocysteinemia and possibly related disorders,” said Karadag, et al.
