Psoriasis patients and their doctors need to be aware of heart risks

Psoriasis patients should talk with their doctors about a new study that appears in the June 2009 issue of the Archives of Dermatology.

A team lead by researchers at the University of Miami examined Veterans Administration medical records for more than 3,200 psoriasis patients and 2,500 patients without psoriasis.

Not a surprise: Psoriasis was linked to higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and smoking – these links have previously been established. But after controlling for all of these factors, researchers found that psoriasis was still independently linked to ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral vascular disease – all of which are triggered by atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries).

Of course, this doesn’t mean that psoriasis actually causes these cardiovascular conditions, or that successful psoriasis treatment will alleviate the conditions. But while we wait for further research, doctors should take note and monitor their psoriasis patients for heart and circulatory problems.

In their study, the authors also write: “It would be prudent for dermatologists to be familiar with suggested screening for cardiovascular risk factors and recommendations for aspirin use.”

Actually, it would be prudent for dermatologists to leave aspirin recommendations for heart health to each patient’s general M.D. And, of course, it would be prudent for any general M.D. to be very careful about recommending daily aspirin therapy to just about anyone.

Psoriasis patients, their dermatologists and general M.D.s can read about the dangers of aspirin therapy in the e- Alert “Misuse Only as Directed” (5/22/08).

Source:
“Association of Psoriasis with Coronary Artery, Cerebrovascular, and Peripheral Vascular Diseases and Mortality” Archives of Dermatology, Vol. 145, No. 6, June 2009, archderm.ama-assn.org