Those with severe psoriasis 67 percent more likely to develop an AAA
FRIDAY, April 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Psoriasis patients may face a higher risk of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, according to a study published online April 14 in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.
Usman Khalid, M.D., Ph.D., a fellow in the department of cardiology at Herlev and Gentofte Hospital in Hellerup, Denmark, and his team analyzed 59,423 patients with mild psoriasis and 11,566 patients with severe psoriasis using 14 years of data from nationwide registries in Denmark. The patients were tracked until they were diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm, died, moved, or the study ended.
The researchers found that patients with mild psoriasis were 20 percent more likely to develop an abdominal aneurysm than people without psoriasis. And those with severe psoriasis were 67 percent more likely to develop an aneurysm.
“More research is needed to explain the causal mechanisms. Nonetheless, our findings not only stress the need to treat the symptoms of the skin disorder, but also a regular evaluation of the risk factors that are associated with cardiovascular disease outcomes,” Khalid told HealthDay. “Also, patients with psoriasis must be encouraged to change [an] unhealthy lifestyle and adhere to a daily program that will minimize the risk of cardiovascular problems.”
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