HealthDay News — Patients with more severe cases of psoriasis may be at an increased risk of uncontrolled hypertension, according to research published in JAMA Dermatology.
To determine the association between hypertension and psoriasis, both overall and according to objectively measured psoriasis severity, Junko Takeshita, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues conducted a population-based study of 13,299 patients diagnosed with hypertension.
Among the study participants who also had psoriasis (n=1,322), nearly 60% with severe psoriasis (affecting more than 10% of their skin), had uncontrolled hypertension (a reading of 140/90 mm Hg or higher). Odds of poorly controlled blood pressure were 48% higher in those patients compared with participants without psoriasis, reported the investigators. Patients with moderate psoriasis (at least 3% of the skin afflicted) had a 20% higher risk.
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After considering other factors commonly associated with increased hypertension risk, including smoking and drinking habits and use of medication that can raise blood pressure, psoriasis was still associated with a higher risk of uncontrolled hypertension.
“Our data suggest a need for more effective blood pressure management, particularly among patients with more severe psoriasis,” added the researchers.
