The Face and Mind Evaluation Study: An Examination of the Efficacy of Rosacea Treatment Using Physician Ratings and Patients’ Self-Reported Quality of Life

Objective: To examine both the short-term clinical efficacy and quality-of-life changes resulting from treatment of rosacea with regimens that reflect the participating physicians’ standards of care while incorporating azelaic acid gel.

Design: Longitudinal, open-label, observational study.

Patients: 583 patients with mild to moderate rosacea participated in this study.

Interventions: Patients received azelaic acid gel either alone or in combination with other standard treatment for rosacea according to each participating physician’s standards of care. Main Outcome Measures: Change in Investigator’s Global Assessment score, measuring the severity of rosacea symptoms, from baseline to follow-up, and change in scores on the RosaQoL?, a rosacea-related quality-of-life instrument with 4 component measures (Overall, Emotion, Symptom, and Function) completed by patients at both baseline and follow-up.

Results: Over the course of treatment, the mean Investigator’s Global Assessment score dropped from 3.52 to 2.10 (P < .0001). Patients who were prescribed combination therapy had significantly greater improvement than those who were prescribed azelaic acid gel alone (P < .0001). All 4 components of the RosaQoL? also showed significant improvement over the course of treatment, regardless of the type of therapy prescribed (P < .0001).

Conclusion: Azelaic acid gel, either alone or in combination with other medications, is efficacious in the treatment of mild to moderate rosacea, as shown by observational data collected in the clinical setting from both treating physicians and patients.