Heart Attacks and Psoriasis

If you have psoriasis, it places you at a higher risk for having a heart attack when compared to someone who doesn’t have psoriasis. The old saying from a 1970’s TV commercial, “the heartbreak of psoriasis,” is true! If you have a little bit of psoriasis, then the risk is a little bit. If you have a medium amount of psoriasis, then the risk is medium, and if you have a lot of psoriasis, your risk for a heart attack is high. Why is this the case? The amount of inflamed skin due to psoriasis that we can see with our eyes is directly correlated with the amount of inflamed tissue that occurs on the inside of the body. More specifically, inflammation from the skin spills into the bloodstream and causes the inner linings of arteries to become inflamed. This, in turn, makes the arteries more likely to become blocked, which can then lead to things like heart attacks and strokes. Emerging new evidence suggests that treatments for psoriasis, like the biologics Stelara and Cosentyx, improve the skin and are then likely to decrease the risk of heart attacks. This makes psoriasis much more than a cosmetic skin disease, and more of a general health issue, for those who suffer from it. Get your psoriasis cleared up and improve your overall health.Publications