The link between psoriasis and heart disease, cancer

Psoriasis not only affects the skin, but also has a large impact on other health problems. Based on research results, dermatologists have confirmed that psoriasis patients have a high risk of cardiovascular diseases as well as cancer.

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the skin. The disease causes symptoms such as redness, scabs, itching, and discomfort. At the same time, the disease also causes skin lesions due to the rapid proliferation of skin cells.
Psoriasis, although not completely curable, can be controlled with symptomatic treatments. However, the disease, even under control, can lead to health problems, including those related to heart disease and cancer.

Psoriasis causes the immune system to overreact causing inflammation in the body. Inflammation is the main trigger for cardiovascular diseases. Not only that, psoriasis develops into psoriatic arthritis, which is also a factor that causes heart rhythm disturbances and causes heart diseases.
2.1. The inflammatory response of psoriasis and heart disease The inflammatory response in psoriasis produces red patches of skin on the body that cause itching, burning, and discomfort. Furthermore, the more profound influence of the inflammatory response is the vascular effect that induces the development of atherosclerosis. When atherosclerosis is formed, a process of fatty deposits, or plaques, builds up inside the artery walls. These plaques slow or disrupt the flow of blood to the heart. As a result, it increases the risk of heart disease and heart attack in people with psoriasis.
Studies on the link between psoriasis and related diseases have found that people with any type of psoriasis are three times more likely to have a heart attack than those who do. not sick.

In addition, experts also found that the treatment of psoriasis is also one of the high risk factors for heart disease. The reason could be when psoriasis has some treatment and it can make cholesterol unstable along with hardening of the arteries. These factors will cause a heart attack to occur.
2.2. Psoriatic arthritis and cardiac arrhythmias About 30% of people with psoriasis will develop psoriatic arthritis. Studies have also demonstrated that psoriatic arthritis is associated with an increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias.
According to results published in the American Journal of Medicine, people with severe psoriasis including psoriatic arthritis and under the age of 60 are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease.

A study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in Miami Beach found that psoriasis is associated with an increased risk of skin cancer, prostate cancer, and lymphoma.
Or another study at Abbott Laboratories identified people with psoriasis as more likely to have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. However, after the study was conducted for an average of 2.5 years, it was found that 34.8% of people with psoriasis were diagnosed with cancer. This shows that the proportion of people with psoriasis at risk for cancer is quite high. This study also showed that people with psoriasis had a high risk of skin cancer accounting for about 75%, lymphoma 87% and prostate cancer 22%.
Plus, the Baylor Research Institute's Psoriasis Study in Dallas says some treatments used for psoriasis may increase the risk of skin cancer. However, the association of psoriasis with other cancers will not use this hypothesis to explain.
These studies did not examine why people with psoriasis might be more prone to cancer. However, it is possible to explain this condition based on an inflammatory response related to overactive immune cells in the body. What's more, other chronic inflammatory diseases (such as: Crohn's disease) are also associated with an increased risk of developing cancer.
Although psoriasis can increase the risk of heart disease and cancer, people with the disease can take steps to reduce the risk such as: building a reasonable diet, exercising regularly and lead a healthy lifestyle. At the same time, patients should have regular health check-ups with tests such as colonoscopy, mammogram and chest x-ray so that the earliest risk of cancer can be detected. That makes the treatment process in these patients more convenient and effective.
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