Study links metabolic syndrome to higher cardiovascular risk in patients with psoriasis
Psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin disease, has long been known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attack and stroke. Now, researchers have identified a key culprit: the presence of metabolic syndrome (MetSyn), a condition that includes obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension, and is highly prevalent among psoriasis patients.
The findings, which could lead to new ways to help prevent cardiovascular disease among people with psoriasis, appear online today in the
Journal of the American Association of Dermatology (JAAD). The study was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health.