Severe Psoriasis Increased Risk Of Death

Severe Psoriasis Increased Risk Of Death

Researchers in the US working on UK data found that severe psoriasis increased a person's risk of death by 50 per cent, whereas milder psoriasis posed no increased risk of death. The researchers suggested people with severe psoriasis die about 4 years earlier than people who do not have the inflammatory skin disease.


The results showed that, over the period of study:

1. The death rate of patients with severe psoriasis was nearly twice as high as for those without the disease (21.3 as opposed to 12 per 1,000 patients per year).

2. There was no overall effect of mild psoriasis on mortality.

3. Severe psoriasis appeared to increase risk of death by 50 per cent.

4. This risk persisted after adjusting for other known risk factors linked to mortality, such as smoking status, Body Mass Index (BMI), heart problems, AIDS, dementia, cancer, kidney disease, and many others.

5. It also persisted when the researchers excluded patients with inflammatory arthropathy (inflamed joints).

6. Male patients with severe psoriasis died on average 3.5 years before patients without the disease.

7. Female patients with severe psoriasis died on average 4.4 years before patients without the disease.