There is strong evidence linking severe psoriasis with heart disease, but the exact relationship between the two conditions is still unclear. There are several reasons psoriasis may increase the risk of heart disease.
Genetic Risk
“Psoriasis shares some common factors with heart disease, including genetic relationships”, says Joel Gelfand, MD, director of the Psoriasis and Phototherapy Treatment Center at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia and coauthor of numerous studies on the link between psoriasis and heart disease.
Inflammatory Pathways
Although this is still an area of active research, some experts believe that both conditions may share inflammatory pathways that drive the progression of heart disease and cause psoriasis plaques.
“Although psoriasis plaques are different from plaques in the arteries, the inflammation that makes the skin red and flaky is a similar kind of inflammation that causes blockages in the arteries,” says Dr. Gelfand. “The more skin that is involved with psoriasis, the higher the risk is of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease.”
Pro-inflammatory Proteins
Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance is when the body doesn’t respond to insulin the way that it should, so it can’t properly process sugar and fats.
The blood sugar buildup caused by insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes, which increases the risk of heart disease.
Cholesterol Buildup
Psoriasis is linked with abnormal cholesterol and triglycerides, which are types of lipoproteins.
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