Patients with severe psoriasis have higher risk of heart disease, new study provides further evidence

Italy: A recent study exploring the relationship between severe psoriasis and coronary microvascular dysfunction has provided further evidence of higher cardiovascular (CV) risk in patients with severe psoriasis. 

The study, published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, published by Elsevier, is the largest to date that explored this relationship. 

Psoriasis is a chronic systemic immune-mediated inflammatory disease that affects 1-3% of the global population. In this study, a total of 503 patients with psoriasis, and without clinical cardiovascular disease, underwent transthoracic Doppler echocardiography to evaluate coronary microcirculation. Investigators uncovered a high prevalence of coronary microvascular dysfunction in more than 30% of asymptomatic patients within the study population.

Lead investigator Stefano Piaserico, MD, PhD, Dermatology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, explained, "Previous studies have shown that patients with severe psoriasis have an increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, there has been limited research on the specific mechanisms underlying this increased risk, particularly regarding coronary microvascular dysfunction. We wanted to further investigate the prevalence of coronary microvascular dysfunction, as assessed by coronary flow reserve (CFR), in a large cohort of patients with severe psoriasis and its association with psoriasis severity and duration, as well as other patient characteristics. Patients with a reduced CFR underwent angio-CT to exclude a stenosis of the coronary arteries, and no patients showed coronary artery disease. Therefore, all patients with an impaired CFR in our cohort were affected by coronary microvascular dysfunction.”