Patients with Psoriasis at Increased Risk for Developing Other Serious Medical Conditions

It has long been known that psoriasis, a chronic skin condition characterized by thick, red, scaly plaques that itch and bleed, can have a significant negative impact on a patient’s overall quality of life. Now, dermatologists are finding that psoriasis, especially severe psoriasis, is linked with a number of serious medical conditions – including cardiovascular disease, depression and cancer.

In the report entitled, “National Psoriasis Foundation clinical consensus on psoriasis comorbidities and recommendations for screening,” published online in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, dermatologist Alexa B. Kimball, MD, MPH, FAAD, associate professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Mass., led a task force of the National Psoriasis Foundation Medical Board that explored psoriasis co-morbidities. The group presented a summary of recently published research on the association between psoriasis and other medical conditions and recommendations on how dermatologists can help at-risk patients find appropriate preventative care or treatment.

“Our review found that people with more severe cases of psoriasis appear to have an increased incidence of psoriatic arthritis, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, depression, obesity and even other immune-related conditions such as Crohn’s disease,” said Dr. Kimball.

“I advise patients at minimum to follow the nationally recognized recommendations that are appropriate for their age and gender. These include getting regular, comprehensive exams from their doctors and working to make lifestyle changes such as losing weight, exercising more, quitting smoking, reducing high blood pressure, controlling cholesterol, maintaining emotional health, and managing diabetes as needed.”

Cardiovascular Risk

Dr. Kimball noted that psoriasis has been associated with increased cardiovascular disease for decades. Initially, this was attributed to the increased prevalence of behavioral risk factors – such as obesity and smoking, which are thought to be linked to the psychosocial burden of psoriasis. However, two recent studies have enhanced dermatologists’ understanding of cardiovascular risk in psoriasis patients. “One large population-based study demonstrated an increased risk of myocardial infarction in patients with psoriasis – particularly those with severe cases of the disease – even when accounting for major cardiovascular risk factors, such as obesity, smoking, diabetes and hypertension,” explained Dr. Kimball. “Similarly, a small study of a well-defined population of patients with very severe psoriasis demonstrated that these patients had a higher frequency of coronary artery disease compared to a control group of patients, even when controlling for known risk factors for atherosclerosis. Taken together, these studies suggest that psoriasis itself may be a risk factor for developing atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction.”