A study plans to investigate the potential of spironolactone for improving acne in women. Researchers are currently recruiting women with acne in Bristol to be part of a new clinical trial. The £1.7 million study funded by the National Institute for Health Research will be conducted by researchers at the Universities of Southampton, Bristol, Cardiff, East Anglia and Nottingham.
Spironolactone, a drug used for treating hypertension, is also believed to lower hormones that trigger the production of oil by the skin. Spironolactone has been used as an 'off-label' treatment for acne in women for over three decades by many physicians.
In this study named SAFA (Spironolactone for Adult Female Acne), women with acne will be randomly assigned to receive either the spironolactone or placebo for six months. If spironolactone is found to be effective in the trial, it could potentially replace antibiotics as a treatment for acne in women.
Dr Matthew Ridd from the University of Bristol said: "There is very little evidence to support the use of spironolactone in adult females with acne. If spironolactone is shown to work for acne in this large study, it will inform national and international guidelines."
