Link found between psoriatic arthritis and heart problems

A new study has suggested that psoriatic arthritis could be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis.

The study said that previous research had already indicated the possibility of a connection, but failed to control for other conditions that patients had, such as hypertension, diabetes and rheumatic diseases other than psoriatic arthritis.

This new study, published in the International Journal of Angiology, took account of such illnesses, and found that people with psoriatic arthritis but no other condition still exhibited a heightened risk of cardiovascular problems and atherosclerosis. The study’s authors indicate that inflammation is likely to at least partly explain the higher risk.

However, it was noted that the severity of a person’s inflammation did not seem to affect the likelihood of them having a cardiovascular disease.

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