Acne drug dangers found

Researchers have confirmed long-held suspicions that the acne drug isotretinoin increases the risk of inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, includes Crohn's disease and a similar condition called ulcerative colitis.

Isotretinoin (known in New Zealand by the brand name Roaccutane) was first approved for acne in the US in 1982, and numerous cases have surfaced linking the drug to IBD.

The New Hampshire-based scientists said people with symptoms of the disease or a family history of it should think carefully before using the drug. The research was published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

- NZPA