Psoriasis and cardiovascular disorders.

There is considerable evidence to show that patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis have a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, the metabolic syndrome and smoking compared to the general population. The mechanistic link between psoriasis and this observed increase in cardiovascular co-morbidities has not been fully defined. It is clear, however, that common inflammatory pathways are at play in the pathophysiology of psoriasis, obesity and coronary artery disease. It had been proposed that the control of systemic inflammation in psoriasis could help reduce cardiovascular morbidity, and retrospective studies of methotrexate and anti-TNF-a agents have suggested a cardio-protective effect with use of these agents. More recently, however, there have been concerns regarding a potential excess of cardiovascular events with the newer generation of anti-interleukin-12p40 antibodies. In this article we review the association of psoriasis with cardiovascular disorders and the effects of current psoriasis therapies on cardiovascular risk.