A link between diabetes and psoriasis

Psoriasis increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a UK population-based study.

Researchers used an electronic medical records database to match 108,132 patients with psoriasis with 430,716 patients without psoriasis.

The more severe the skin disorder, the higher the risk of type 2 diabetes. After adjusting for confounding factors, there were three extra cases per thousand among patients with severe psoriasis, and 0.7 extra cases in patients with mild psoriasis.

Severe psoriasis was also associated with an increased likelihood of being prescribed oral hypoglycaemic agents and insulin.

The authors hypothesise that chronic inflammation, and elevated levels of Th1-driven inflammatory markers, may be to blame for the association between psoriasis and diabetes – and several studies have pointed to endogenous insulin resistance in patients with psoriasis.

Arch Dermatol 2012 online 18 June
http://archderm.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1184494