Few studies have investigated the association between Acne vulgaris (AV) and vitamin D level. In this study we aimed to investigate the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-VitD) level and AV in a country with plenty of sunshine. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 714 adolescents who were randomly selected from public schools using multistage cluster random sampling with probability proportional to size. 25-OH-VitD levels were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The Global Acne Grading System (GAGS) was used to assess the severity of AV. Data on potential confounders were collected from the parents through a self-administered questionnaire, and from the adolescents using a face-to-face interview. Of 714 participants, 351 (41.16%) were males. The mean (standard deviation (SD)) age was 12.28 (0.81) years. AV was observed in 479 (67.1%) adolescents. There was no significant association between 25-OH-VitD level and clinically assessed AV before or after adjusting for potential confounders. This was consistent whether 25-OH-VitD was fitted as a continuous variable or categorized using acceptable cutoff points or tertiles. In this study vitamin D status was not associated with AV, therefore our data do not support vitamin D supplementation either to treat or to prevent AV.
Keywords: Acne vulgaris; Kuwait; vitamin D.