REVIEWS   

Giornale Italiano di Dermatologia e Venereologia 2006 October;141(5):457-63

Copyright © 2006 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Psoriasis and heart. Something new under the sun

Pietrzak A. ¹, Janowski K. ², Lopatynski J. ³, Chodorowska G. ¹, Ignatowicz A. ³, Steuden S. ², Witczak A. ³, Krasowska D. ¹, Lotti T. M. ⁴

¹ Department of Dermatology Medical University Lublin, Poland 2 Department of Adult Clinical Psychology John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin Lublin, Poland 3 Department of Internal Diseases Medical University Lublin, Poland 4 Unit of Dermatological Physiotherapy University of Florence Florence, Italy

The article reviews classical and current literature concerning relationships between psoriasis and heart. Numerous epidemiological studies point to an increased risk of heart conditions in psoriasis patients. Various risk factors for cardiac pathologies were also observed to be increased in psoriasis patients. Studies applying echocardiographic and electrocardiographic examinations showed higher frequency of cardiac abnormalities in patients with psoriasis than in control groups. Possible mechanisms responsible for an increased prevalence of cardiac pathologies in psoriasis are discussed including lipid metabolism disturbances, systemic effects of altered patterns of proinflammatory cytokines, increased cardiac pathologies due to other conditions comorbid with psoriasis and side effects of systemic treatments for psoriasis.