You can now add psoriasis to the ever-growing list of medical conditions that have been linked to heart disease. Dr. Robert S. Kirsner, vice chairman of dermatology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and co-author of the study stated, “Psoriasis imposes the same level of risk as high blood lipids and smoking.”
The chronic inflammation associated with psoriasis is responsible for the increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Over time, the inflammation damages the blood vessels. The news isn’t all doom and gloom though: the level of risk is related to the severity of the individual’s psoriasis. Treating the psoriasis (and reducing the level of inflammation in the body) will lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Psoriasis is a skin disorder that causes skin to turn red and scaly. The affected patches are also itchy. This disease affects two-three percent of the population.
