Optimizing the Trial Design for a Comparative Effectiveness Study of Spironolactone versus Oral Antibiotics for Women...

For women with acne, their acne often persists into adulthood, with over 50% of women reporting acne between 20–29 years of age and over 35% of women reporting acne between 30–39 years of age.1 While mild acne can usually be managed with topical medications, moderate to severe acne often requires treatment with systemic medications such as oral antibiotics, spironolactone, and isotretinoin.2 Although oral antibiotics are the most common systemic medication prescribed for women with moderate to severe acne, spironolactone may represent a safe and effective therapeutic alternative that can decrease our reliance on oral antibiotics for the treatment of acne.3–5 However, while spironolactone use is increasing, oral antibiotics are still prescribed 3 to 5 times more often than spironolactone.3.