Risk of Myocardial Infarction in Patients With Psoriasis

Abstract

Psoriasis may confer an independent risk of MI. The RR was greatest in young patients with severe psoriasis.

Effects of tumor necrosis factor blockade on cardiovascular risk factors in psoriatic arthritis: A double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study

“…The evidence for causal links between these pathways is stronger in the context of high-grade inflammation, which occurs in a variety of autoimmune inflammatory conditions such as RA or ankylosing spondylitis (1,15). Of specific interest to the present study, psoriasis has recently been reported to confer an independent risk of myocardial infarction, with the relative risk being greatest in young patients with severe psoriasis (16). The availability of cytokine-specific inhibitors provides an ideal opportunity to examine whether suppression of inflammation alters the concentrations of risk factors.…”

National Psoriasis Foundation clinical consensus on psoriasis comorbidities and recommendations for screening

“…Specifically, a large population-based study demonstrated an increased risk of MI in patients with psoriasis (particularly those with severe disease) even when accounting for major cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and diabetes. 4,13 Similarly, a small study of a well-defined population of patients with very severe psoriasis demonstrated that these patients had a higher frequency of coronary artery disease compared to controls even when controlling for known risk factors for atherosclerosis. 3 These studies, taken together, suggest that psoriasis itself may be a risk factor for developing atherosclerosis and MI.…”

“…Evolving research suggests the chronic inflammatory nature of psoriasis itself may lead to adverse health outcomes including coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction (MI). 3,4 Given the increased prevalence of co-morbidities in patients with psoriasis, dermatologists who treat psoriasis -especially more severely affected patients -need to approach the disease as a potentially multisystem disorder. In the very least, dermatologists -who may be the only health care provider for psoriasis patients -must alert these patients to the potentially negative effects of their disease as it relates to other aspects of their health.…”

Perspective: Don't be superficial

“…Although epidemiologic studies have long documented an association between psoriasis and various other health problems, definitive evidence of increased morbidity and mortality surfaced only around six years ago 3 . The effect is most pronounced with cardiovascular disease, and is also connected to severity: patients with severe psoriasis have a higher rate of myocardial infarction than those with mild disease.…”