Psoriasis and Diabetes: Is There a Connection

Key takeaways:

• People with psoriasis are at increased risk for diabetes.
• This risk may be greater if you have more severe psoriasis.
• A healthy lifestyle and regular screening can prevent diabetes.

Table of contents

Psoriasis and Type 2 diabetes

Preventing diabetes

FAQs

Bottom line

References

vitapix/E+ via Getty ImagesPsoriasisis a chronic - and often uncomfortable - skin condition. It's anautoimmune diseasethat leads to increased inflammation in your body. This inflammation causes changes in your skin and nails, but it can also affect other areas of your body like your joints (psoriatic arthritis) and eyes. Researchers are starting to understand more about these systemic effects and how psoriasis is linked toother conditionslike heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and Type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetesoccurs when blood sugar levels in your body are too high. It's acommoncondition where your body either stops producing insulin or stops responding to it. It's not an autoimmune disease though, so how might they be connected?

Knowing about links like these is important because, if you're living with one chronic condition, you and your medical team can take steps to prevent the development of others.

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How are psoriasis and Type 2 diabetes linked?

Psoriasis and Type 2 diabetes are both common, chronic illnesses. Aside from that, they have little in common. So, a link between the two might not seem obvious.

But studies show that people with psoriasis have an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. In fact, the risk isalmost a third higherin people with psoriasis, according to one study. Those with more severe psoriasis tend to have an even higher risk than those with milder cases. Onestudyestimates that about 115,000 people worldwide will develop diabetes each year because they have psoriasis.

Why are people with psoriasis at increased risk for Type 2 diabetes? Experts don't know exactly why people with psoriasis are at increased risk for Type 2 diabetes. But they think there are afew thingsat play:

• Inflammation:Both conditions share inflammatory pathways in your body. It'spossiblethat increased inflammation in psoriasis makes your body less responsive to insulin and/or causes the liver to produce more sugar (glucose).
• Genetics:Psoriasis and diabetes share overlapping genes that affect inflammatory pathways.
• Environment:Both conditions have common risk factors, such as smoking, excess weight, and alcohol intake.

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It's likely to be a complicated association, and research to better understand the links between these two conditions is ongoing.

Psoriasis and Type 1 diabetesType 1 diabetesis an autoimmune disease in which the pancreas can't make insulin. For this reason, people with Type 1 diabetes must take insulin to manage their blood sugar. They'remore likelyto have other autoimmune conditions like celiac or thyroid disease, but not usually psoriasis.

That said, Type 1 diabetes and psoriasis do have somegenesin common and similarinflammatory pathways. In fact, amedication for psoriasisthat targets a specific inflammatory marker (IL-17) is being studied for people newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Beyond that, the link isn't exactly clear yet.

Does everyone with psoriasis get diabetes? No, not everyone who has psoriasis will get diabetes. There are many otherrisk factorsfor Type 2 diabetes, including:

• Age
• Family history
• Ethnicity
• BMIgreater than 25
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Metabolic syndrome

Psoriasis and metabolic syndrome Metabolic syndrome describes a group of risk factors that increase the risk for Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. They include:

• Increased waist size (more fat around your abdomen)
• High blood pressure
• High blood sugar levels
• High triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood)
• Low high-density lipoprotein (HDL), also known as "good" cholesterol

Just as people with psoriasis are at increased risk for diabetes, metabolic syndrome ismore commonin those with psoriasis.Researchsuggests a strong link between the two, meaning people with psoriasis are more likely to develop metabolic syndrome. This connection is likely even stronger in those with more severe psoriasis.

The takeaway is that a lot of these inflammatory conditions share commonalities. And even though the exact links between them aren't fully understood yet, anyone affected can take preventive steps for their health once they know about the risks.

If I have psoriasis, how can I prevent diabetes?

The good news is, if you have psoriasis, there are steps you can take to improve your health.

The following steps can lower your risk of developing diabetes and other related conditions:

• Meet with your healthcare team:Discuss the link between psoriasis, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. They can monitor your blood pressure, blood sugar (glucose), and cholesterol levels to help you stay on top of potential health issues.
• Eat nutritious foods:Focus oncutting back on sugarand saturated fat while adding fresh fruits and vegetables. This can help you manage your cholesterol, blood sugar, and weight.
• Get regular exercise:Physical activity can helppreventType 2 diabetes and support your heart health.
• Avoid smoking and limit alcohol:Smoking and excessive alcohol use can worsen metabolic syndrome and trigger psoriasis flare-ups.
• Try to manage your stress:Increased stressmay contributeto insulin resistance. Takingsimple stepsto reduce stress can benefit your overall health.

Frequently asked questions

Should I be worried about diabetes if I have psoriasis?expand_more Having psoriasis doesn't mean you'll automatically get diabetes. As mentioned above, diabetes has a lot of other risk factors. But making healthy lifestyle changes can help prevent Type 2 diabetes and other health problems. And it may also help ease your mind.

What happens if psoriasis is left untreated?expand_more

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" data-qa="ContentCalloutH2Title" The bottom line

The chronic inflammation that causes psoriasis affects your whole body. Experts think this is why people with psoriasis are at increased risk for other diseases, like Type 2 diabetes. The good news is there are steps you can take to prevent Type 2 diabetes. If you have psoriasis, following a healthy lifestyle and seeing your dermatologist or other healthcare professional regularly can help you manage your risk factors for diabetes, and prevent other health complications as well.

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