Psoriasis and Cardiometabolic Diseases: The Impact of Inflammation on Vascular Health

Meron Teklu, Philip M Parel, Nehal N Mehta National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USACorrespondence: Nehal N MehtaLasker Senior Investigator, Chief, Section of Inflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Clinical Research Center, Room 5-5140, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USATel +1-301-827-0483Fax +1-301-827-0915Email nehal.mehta@nih.govAbstract: Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory condition associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Psoriasis confers a dose-dependent increase in risk for the metabolic syndrome and its components. The metabolic syndrome and its components have been associated with higher coronary atherosclerosis in psoriasis and cardiovascular events in the general population. In this review, we discuss the role of inflammation and psoriasis in cardiometabolic diseases with a focus on the metabolic syndrome and its components. We highlight the relationship between psoriasis and important cardiovascular risk factors encompassed by obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and hypertension. Furthermore, we briefly highlight literature on anti-inflammatory therapies and their impact on the components of the metabolic syndrome as well as directly quantified coronary atherosclerosis burden.Keywords: psoriasis, inflammation, metabolic syndrome, atherosclerosis