Cardiovascular Health for Patients with Psoriasis: A Precis for Front-Line Clinicians

Psoriasis is a prevalent immune disease most notably recognized for its involvement of the skin and joints and for its impact on patient quality of life. More recently, it has been shown that not only do patients with psoriasis have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, smoking, and dyslipidemia, but they also appear to have an increased risk of myocardial infarction independent of these factors. Patients with severe forms of psoriasis also have been found to have increased mortality rates compared to those without psoriasis. The purpose of this review is to increase awareness of these associations among dermatologists and primary care providers to ensure that cardiovascular risk factors are evaluated and appropriately managed in patients with psoriasis.