A Study of Factors Associated With Melasma and Quality of Life in Patients With Melasma: A Case-Control Study

Introduction Melasma is a common condition seen in dermatology clinics and is considered to be a multifactorial disease. We designed the present study to: study the factors associated with melasma (including metabolic syndrome (MetS) and biochemical parameters); compare the characteristics of melasma and other factors (MetS and biochemical parameters) in male and female melasma patients; and evaluate the quality of life in melasma patients and its correlation with the severity of the condition. Methods This study is a case-control study of 80 individuals with melasma and 80 controls attending a private dermatology clinic in Mumbai, India. We collected demographic details and other risk factors in both groups and clinical details in patients with melasma. We assessed the following biochemical parameters, such as fasting blood sugar, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), triglycerides, and high-density lipoproteins. In patients with melasma, severity was evaluated using the Melasma Area and Severity Index (MASI) score, and quality of life using the Melasma Quality of Life (MELASQOL) questionnaire. Results The mean (SD) age of the cases (37.2 (5.9)) was significantly higher than controls (30.6 (7.0)) years (p