Diabetes risk in psoriasis increases with disease severity

Hilton L

Dermatology Times.2018.

Lisette Hilton’s article on the connection between psoriasis and diabetes states “psoriasis is an important predictor of diabetes risk and the more severe the disease, the higher the diabetes risk.” It was found through this study that individuals who suffer from severe forms of psoriasis have an increased risk of being diagnosed with type two diabetes (approximately 60% increase). It is believed that this correlation is a result of inflammatory cytokines being up-regulated in psoriasis; the identical inflammatory cytokines which lead to insulin resistance. Comparisons between patients with varying psoriasis body surface area were used to determine that “for every 10 percent increase in affected body surface area, diabetes risk rises by an additional 20 percent.”