Cardiovascular risk increase due to skin psoriasis: a new study says

The most extensive forms of psoriasis were associated with a 51 per cent increase in blood vessel inflammation. The relationship between psoriasis and increased blood vessel inflammation did not change much after accounting for other heart disease risk factors.

"The most important observation we made was that the more psoriasis was on the skin, the more inflammation there was in the blood vessels," said senior study author Nehal N Mehta, clinical investigator in the Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Branch of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.

The findings support the idea that the skin disease and cardiovascular disease may share an immune-related underlying mechanism, but does not prove one causes the other, researchers said.

"People who have psoriasis - particularly if it is severe - should be assessed by their doctor for cardiovascular risk factors, including diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity," Mehta said.

"They should also maintain an active lifestyle, avoid smoking and follow a balanced diet," Mehta said. The co-authors of the study included Haley B Naik, Balaji Natarajan, Aditya A Joshi, and Parasuram Krishnamoorthy.

The research was published in the American Heart Association journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.