title: Isotretinoin: is there any arrhythmic effect?
abstract: Oral isotretinoin is currently the most effective therapy for acne, but is associated with numerous adverse effects. To investigate the cardiac effects of isotretinoin, acne patients receiving isotretinoin for 6 months were studied. Methods Twenty-six patients with acne vulgaris were enrolled in the study. The patients were treated with a dose of 0.8 mg/kg/day of isotretinoin (Roaccutane, Hoffman-La Roche, Basle, Switzerland) for 6 months. All participants were assessed pretreatment and at the third month of therapy with 24-h Holter monitoring of electrocardiography. Results Twenty-two patients completed the study (19 females and three males). Initial 24-h Holter monitoring showed normal sinus rhythm in all patients, with a mean heart rate of 79 beats/min (lowest, 63 beats/min; highest, 97 beats/min). At the third month of therapy, 24-h Holter monitoring showed normal sinus rhythm in all patients, with a mean heart rate of 81 beats/min (lowest, 67 beats/min; highest, 91 beats/min). All patients were in sinus rhythm throughout the recording period. None of the patients had supraventricular tachycardia or atrial arrhythmia. Conclusion In this study, 6 months of isotretinoin therapy significantly improved acne and did not cause any cardiac adverse effects at a dose of 0.8 mg/kg/day.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Fatih University, School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Selcoki
authors.forename: Canan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gorpelioglu
authors.forename: Faruk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Turgut
authors.forename: Evren
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sarifakioglu
authors.forename: Adem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozkara
authors.forename: Oguz
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tekin
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanbay
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akcay
mesh_terms: D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000328:Adult; D001146:Arrhythmia, Sinus; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015474:Isotretinoin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D013617:Tachycardia, Supraventricular
chemical_list: D003879:Dermatologic Agents; D015474:Isotretinoin