Patients with Psoriasis Have an Increased Risk for Coronary Artery Disease

More and more studies show a heightened risk for atherosclerotic vascular disease of the coronary, cerebral, and peripheral vascular systems in patients with psoriasis. The increased risk appears to be independent of other traditional risk factors, including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes mellitus, which are also more prevalent in psoriasis patients and other populations with chronic inflammatory disease. The association between psoriasis and vascular disease strengthens with greater disease severity and duration. Some findings suggest that decreasing systemic inflammation (e.g., with methotrexate or tumor necrosis factor-α antagonists) has a beneficial effect on some risk factors.

These authors examined the records of 9473 patie…