Patients who suffer from moderate to severe psoriasis should be evaluated for their risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). According to recommendations published in the “American Journal of Cardiology,” patients with more severe forms of psoriasis are at increased risk of CAD—narrowing of the arteries that supply the heart with blood. CAD can lead to heart attacks as well as other cardiac problems.
Psoriasis affects two to three percent of the population. It is characterized by a scaly rash that can cover large areas of the body. Research has linked the condition to arthritis as well as heart disease, and the common bond appears to be inflammation. The condition has also been linked to arthritis.
The groundbreaking article focuses on “a large new area of evidence strengthening the connection between inflammatory processes and coronary artery disease,” says lead author cardiologist Vincent E. Friedewald of the University of Notre Dame. The article, he says, “bridges current knowledge from two medical disciplines—dermatology and cardiology—that rarely interrelate.”
The new guidelines recommend that even those who have mild forms of psoriasis be tested if they also have other risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as obesity or high blood pressure.
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