Psoriasis could be an indication of inflammation of the blood vessels, which increases the risk for heart disease, according to a new study. And as the disease becomes more severe, the heart risk also increases, Health Day reported.
Dr. Nehal Mehta, lead study author and a clinical investigator at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, said the findings prove that "what is seen on the outside in terms of skin disease severity is mirrored on the inside in terms of blood vessel inflammation." He noted that the study gives evidence that psoriasis influences vascular inflammation, according to Live Science.
However, Mehta noted that the study did not show a direct cause-and-effect relationship between psoriasis and blood vessel inflammation.
The researchers used data gathered from 60 adults with psoriasis and 20 adults without the disease, all of whom did not have a high risk for heart disease. The participants went through PET/CT scans that checked their blood vessel inflammation.
The researchers found that the participants with psoriasis suffered from high levels of blood vessel inflammation despite having low heart disease risk. Participants with the more severe forms of psoriasis, which covered more than 10 percent of the skin, had blood vessel inflammations of up to 51 percent.
National Psoriasis Foundation research programs director Michael Siegel emphasized that psoriasis patients should have their disease treated, even though there is no evidence yet that the treatment of psoriasis can lower the risk for heart attack and stroke.
"Even mild psoriasis carries a risk for heart problems," Siegel he said. "There are systemic consequences to psoriasis and people with severe disease need to seek the most effective treatment possible."
"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 in a press release. They should also maintain an active lifestyle, avoid smoking and follow a balanced diet."
The study was published in the online Oct. 8 issue of the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.
