Psoriasis Associated With Increased Risk of Diabetes Mellitus

Patients who have the chronic autoimmune condition psoriasis may be at increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus (DM), according to a study published online in June 2012 in Archives of Dermatology.

The researchers collected data on 108,132 patients with psoriasis listed in the British Health Improvement Network and compared them with 430,716 patients without the disorder. Their results showed that those with mild psoriasis were 11% more likely and those with severe psoriasis were 46% more likely to develop DM compared with those in the control group.

The authors hypothesized that the relationship between the 2 conditions is that they are both driven by chronic inflammation. They also noted that several prior studies have found evidence of endogenous insulin resistance in psoriasis patients.

“These findings, combined with the large literature linking psoriasis to cardiovascular and metabolic disease, suggest that patients with psoriasis should be encouraged to lower their risk of DM and its complications by undergoing therapeutic lifestyle changes and appropriate screenings for signs of insulin resistance,” the authors wrote.

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