Researchers suspect inflammation is the common denominator

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Amy Norton

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- People with more severe cases of psoriasis may be at increased risk of uncontrolled high blood pressure, a large study finds.

Researchers looking at over 13,000 adults in the United Kingdom found that those with severe psoriasis were 48 percent more likely to have poorly controlled blood pressure, versus people without the skin condition.

The findings, reported online Oct. 15 in the journal JAMA Dermatology, confirm an association between psoriasis and cardiovascular health. But the precise reasons are not clear, and a cause-and-effect link was not proven.

"We still don't fully understand why we see a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in people with psoriasis," said study leader Dr. Junko Takeshita, a clinical instructor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

But, Takeshita said, chronic inflammation could be a common denominator.

People with psoriasis develop thick, scaly patches on their skin that are often itchy or sore. Experts believe the problem arises from an abnormal immune system attack on healthy skin cells -- a reaction that causes chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation in the blood vessels is thought to contribute to high blood pressure ("hypertension"), heart disease and stroke.

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Psoriasis Tied to Raised Risk of Uncontrolled Blood Pressure