Psoriasis and obesity in children

The prevalence of psoriasis - a chronic, inflammatory disease of the skin - is significantly higher among overweight and obese children.

Psoriasis, often viewed merely as a burdensome skin condition, may put children at risk for metabolic disease (such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and heart disease).

Using electronic health records to study 710,949 racially and ethnically diverse children, the researchers found that obese children were almost 40 percent more likely to have psoriasis than normal weight children. At even greater risk, extremely obese children were nearly 80 percent more likely to have psoriasis than normal weight children. Moreover, it was four times more likely for psoriasis to be severe or more widespread in obese children than in normal weight children. The study also showed that, compared with children without psoriasis, teens with the skin condition had 4 to 16 percent higher cholesterol levels and liver enzymes, regardless of their weight. It was found that teens with psoriasis (regardless of their body weight) have higher cholesterol levels, putting them at risk for heart disease.

As the researchers follow these patients over 30 to 40 years, they will be able to determine if these increased cardiovascular risk factors in turn increase the risk for major adverse cardiac events.