Think psoriasis is just a rash? Think again.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by patches of abnormal skin, that affects between 2 percent and 3 percent of the world’s population. But psoriasis is more than skin deep. It is associated with many diseases and the disease associations just keep growing.

Psoriasis and just some of its associations to systemic diseases of a chronic inflammatory nature

Bruce Jancin writing in Rheumatology News reported on information presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. Published studies have linked psoriasis with significant increases in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, multiple sclerosis, migraines, uveitis, pancreatitis, and abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) refers to a group of diseases that impair the flow of air to the lungs, making it more difficult to breathe.  A 2015 review concluded that people with psoriasis had an approximately two-fold greater risk of developing COPD, compared with the general population. The risk was higher in people with severe psoriasis. 

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory, autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that disrupts communications between the brain and other parts of the body. A meta-analysis of 43,643 patients with multiple sclerosis shows that these patients have an increased incidence and prevalence of psoriasis. Association of Multiple Sclerosis with Psoriasis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.

Migraines are a common neurological disorder, characterised by moderate to severe headache and nausea. Psoriasis was found to be associated with an almost 4-fold increase in risk for migraine in US research at the New York University School of Medicine in 2019. Psoriasis and the risk of migraines in the United States.

Uveitis is inflammation in the eye which affects the middle layer of tissue in the eye wall. The results of a 2020 study revealed significantly increased risk of both prevalent and incident uveitis among patients with psoriasis. Psoriasis and Risk of Uveitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas, an organ that sits near the stomach and liver. A 2016 study demonstrated that patients with psoriasis are at a significantly elevated risk of CP and the risk increased with severity of psoriasis. The Risk of Chronic Pancreatitis in Patients with Psoriasis: A Population-Based Cohort Study. 

Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a localized enlargement of the abdominal aorta. Psoriasis was found to be an independent risk factor for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), according to a 2016 Danish study, published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology: Nationwide Study on the Risk of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms in Patients With Psoriasis.

Here is a list from the National Psoriasis Foundation/USA of Related Conditions of Psoriasis which also includes Cardiovascular Disease, Metabolic Syndrome, Obesity, Hypertension, Dyslipidemia, Diabetes, Anxiety and Depression, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Cancer, Kidney Disease, Sleep Apnea and Hepatic (liver) Disease.

Video Comment by Dr Nathan Wei of the Arthritis Treatment Center : A more serious condition than we thought.

Nathan Wei, MD FACP FACR was a rheumatologist and Director of the Arthritis Center of Maryland. He was a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine at the time of creating this video.