A new research found that people with psoriasis that covers 10 percent or more of their body are 64 percent more likely to develop diabetes.The researchers measured chances of developing Type 2 diabetes mellitus based on the severity of psoriasis.As for the measurement, the researchers used the body surface area or BSA to determine the percentage of the body covered by psoriasis.
In the study, the research team assessed general practitioners about patients affected by psoriasis using BSA as the criterion.They looked at the data of 8,124 adults with the skin disorder and 76,599 without psoriasis over the course of four years.Their findings revealed that patients with BSA of 2 percent or less had a 21-percent chance to develop diabetes, while patients with BSA of 10 percent or more had a 64-percent chance to develop diabetes.
"The type of inflammation seen in psoriasis is known to promote insulin resistance, and psoriasis and diabetes share similar genetic mutations suggesting a biological basis for the connection between the two conditions we found in our study.We know psoriasis is linked to higher rates of diabetes, but this is the first study to examine how the severity of the disease affects a patient's risk," said Dr.Joel Gelfand, a professor at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and senior author of the study.
The research suggests an additional 125,650 new cases of Type 2 diabetes in patients with psoriasis worldwide.
The Link Between Diabetes and Psoriasis
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder, an abnormal response of the body that affects the skin of the people.Psoriasis is characterized by red, itchy, and scaly patches of skin.The more severe the disease, the more areas it covers.The vulnerability of people with psoriasis to diabetes has been found in several published studies.
- In 2013, a Danish study examined more than 52,000 people with psoriasis, ages 10 and older, for 13 years They were then compared to the entire Danish population.The researchers discovered that people with mild or severe psoriasis have a higher risk to develop Type 2 diabetes.
- In a 2012 study by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, more than 100,000 people with psoriasis were compared to 430,000 people without the autoimmune disease.The researchers found a 46-percent risk to develop Type 2 diabetes in people with severe psoriasis, while there was an 11-percent chance for those who had mild psoriasis.An estimated 115,500 new cases of diabetes per year from psoriasis were suggested by the research team.
- In 2013, the researchers from Penn University suggested that people with psoriasis have a higher risk to develop complications, such as chronic lung disorder, heart attack, peptic ulcer, mild liver disease, kidney disease, and diabetes complications.
A study published in 2016 found the link between psoriasis and diabetes – a common genetic cause.Dr.Ann Sophie Lonnberg of the University of Copenhagen and co-authors examined sets of Danish twins, ages 20 to 71.More than 33,000 twins with more than half of them being women were included in the study.The findings revealed that psoriasis was more common in people with diabetes -- about 7.6 percent of the participants, compared to participants without psoriasis, about 4.1 percent in total.These life-long diseases have been found with two common factors:
1.Inflammation: Psoriasis and diabetes both cause inflammation.The chronic inflammation caused by psoriasis contributes to the development of Type 2 diabetes, according to Dr.Nadia Yaqub, an endocrinologist at the University of Cincinnati.Dr.Andrea Neimann, a dermatologist at the Joan H.Tisch Center for Women's Health at NYU Langone Medical Center, explained that the psoriasis-induced inflammation increases the amount of an insulin-like growth factor linked to Type 2 diabetes.Psoriasis also affects the immune system in ways connected to insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes.
2.Lifestyle: Certain habits have been associated in people with psoriasis and diabetes, such as alcohol consumption, smoking, and unhealthy diet.Moreover, some treatments for psoriasis make it more difficult to control blood sugar and cholesterol levels.Researchers considered the "dose-response effect" as one disease may potentially alter the risk for another condition.
Lifestyle and Home Remedies for Psoriasis
There are several treatments available for psoriasis from skin creams to light therapy to reduce the symptoms.At home, there are several regimens to help improve the appearance and feel of the damaged skin.
- Bathing helps calm inflamed skin and remove scales.You can add bath oil, colloidal oatmeal or the Dead Sea salts to the water.Use one of these extras to lukewarm water then soak your body.Avoid using hot water or harsh soaps because they will worsen the symptoms.Your dermatologist can suggest the healthiest soap for your skin.
- After every bath, apply moisturizer to prevent moisture from leaving your skin.For very dry skin, use oil-based moisturizers because these products are more effective at keeping water on your skin.
- Psoriasis symptoms worsen depending on what triggered it.Find out what causes the symptoms to get worse, such as the food that can potentially cause your skin to itch more or what fabric seems to burn your skin.