Tretinoin use to treat signs of aging not widespread, Wake Forest study concludes.
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
TRETINOIN FOR WRINKLES, ELASTOSIS USED BY 17% OF PATIENTS AGES 55 TO 59, accounting for a "small proportion of [overall] tretinoin treatment," according to a study by Carol McConnell et al., Wake Forest University. Published in the February issue of the Journal of the Academy of American Dermatologists, the study sought to determine "at what ages patients are more likely to receive tretinoin for treatment of acne vulgaris versus other conditions," such as antiwrinkling and photoaging, "to provide a rational basis for insurers to set [age-based] coverage cut-offs." Many insurance companies do not reimburse patients over age 25 for tretinoin treatment "regardless of the reason for the prescription," the authors note.