Psoriasis and Co-Morbid Disease: A Dose Response in Relation to Psoriasis Severity

Gelfand and his colleagues were among the first to report an association between psoriasis and atherosclerotic vascular disease of the heart, central nervous system, and peripheral vascular system (see JW Dermatol Oct 27 2006). The data suggested that the association was strongest in more severe disease (this research used the need for phototherapy or for systemic therapy as a surrogate for severity). Other investigators have linked chronic pulmonary disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome to psoriasis and its severity (JW Dermatol May 15 2009).

This most recent study relies on data collected from medical records and responses to patient surveys in the U.K. In 9035 psoriasis patients and 90,350 controls without psoriasis, investigators fou…