A Retrospective Evaluation of the Laboratory Findings of Dermatology Patients Whose Biotin Levels Were Checked
July 2023
in “
Cureus
”
TLDR Older people tend to have higher biotin levels, which are weakly linked to certain blood components and negatively linked to triglycerides; biotin should be checked in patients with high triglycerides or medication-related skin issues, and only supplemented if deficient. Vitamin D and folate deficiencies are linked to specific skin conditions.
The study analyzed biotin levels in 105 dermatology patients and found that biotin levels increase with age and do not significantly differ with gender. There were weak positive relationships between biotin levels and basophil count, creatinine, and cholesterol/triglyceride ratio, and weak negative relationships with mean platelet volume (MPV). A moderately negative relationship was found between biotin levels and triglyceride levels. The study recommends checking biotin levels in patients with high triglyceride levels and in those experiencing dermatological side effects from certain medications. Biotin supplementation is advised only for patients with deficiencies. The study also found significant correlations between vitamin D deficiency and patients with dry skin and hand eczema, and between folate deficiency and patients with acne scarring. It suggests checking folate levels in patients starting isotretinoin for acne, as supplementation may reduce scarring.
