Psoriasis Could Lead to More Severe Health Issues

Psoriasis, a common skin disease that affects the life cycle of skin cells, builds up rapidly on the surface of the skin and forms thick silvery scales and itchy, dry, red patches that can sometimes present themselves as painful nuisance.

This persistent, chronic disease may go on for long periods of time or possibly go into remission, but it can be disabling for some especially if their symptoms are associated with arthritis.

Unfortunately, a new study by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania shows that those compared to patients with the inflammatory skin condition tended to be at a higher risk for at least one additional major medical disease.

Psoriasis, the most prevalent autoimmune disease in the United States, currently affects 7.5 million Americans, or approximately 2.2 percent of the U.S. population. Worldwide, 125 million people or 2 to 3 percent of the population also have it.

To test their theory, researchers studied more than 9,000 people with psoriasis. More than half had a mild case of the disease, 36 percent had moderate cases and 12 percent had a severe case affecting more than 10 percent of their skin's surface area.

They determined that the skin condition raised the risk for several diseases, including but not limited to chronic pulmonary disease (COPD), mild liver disease, diabetes, heart attacks, peripheral vascular disease, peptic ulcers, kidney disease and other rheumatologic diseases.

"If patients have severe disease that doesn't bother them, they are often untreated," study author Dr. Joel M. Gelfand, an associate professor of dermatology and epidemiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, said via CBS News. "And we don't know if that is potentially dangerous."

Gelfand added, via the Guardian that: "As we identify additional diseases linked to psoriasis, patients and physicians need to be aware of the increased odds of serious co-morbid illnesses, which is especially important in severe cases."

The diseases linked to the condition share a common connection through inflammation as pointed out by the researchers. They are hoping to conduct further studies to determine the links for possible medical treatments.

More information regarding the study can be found in JAMA Dermatology.