Psoriasis Raises Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke, Death
JUNE 16, 2009
Joel M. Gelfand, MD, MSCE, medical director of the Dermatology clinical studies unit, and Associate Scholar, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, comments in a HealthDay article about a new study by researchers at the University of Miami. They included data from a Veterans Administration medical facility study to compare 3,236 people suffering from the skin disease to 2,500 psoriasis-free individuals, and found a 78 percent higher incidence of heart disease, a 70 percent higher incidence of stroke and a 98 percent higher incidence of peripheral arterial disease (blockage of arteries in the legs) in the psoriasis group. One of Dr. Gelfand's studies, using British data, found a 55 percent increased cardiovascular risk and a 78 percent higher death rate in persons with psoriasis, Gelfand said. "But we don't have enough data to know if controlling psoriasis would also control those risks," he said. "This is a key public health question best answered in a randomized, controlled trial." Patients who have psoriasis, especially severe cases, should be screened for modifiable risk factors," Gelfand said. "We have a plan in place for our patients to achieve a healthy lifestyle, a plan that includes weight control and exercise." The HealthDay article appears on Forbes.com, MSN.com, and USNews.com.
