Psoriasis treatment could also significantly decrease risk of heart attack

A study by the Montreal Heart Institute and Innovaderm Research, Inc., has found that a treatment for psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin and joints, could also decrease the associated risk of vascular inflammation, a major contributor to heart disease and attacks. The study set out to see if patients with psoriasis who were treated with adalimumab to reduce skin inflammation would also demonstrate a decrease in vascular inflammation. The results show there was a significant decrease in vascular inflammation, as well as a 51 percent decrease in C-reactive protein in the patients treated with adalimumab compared to only a 2 percent decrease in the control group. C-reactive proteins are associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. "These findings are extremely encouraging for people suffering from psoriasis, as they face a greater risk of cardiovascular disease," Dr. Jean‐Claude Tardif, co‐principal author of the study, said.