8 Unusual Diseases Associated With Psoriasis

For those living with the condition, psoriasis is known to be more than skin deep, associated with numerous physical, mental and emotional side effects. But psoriasis also is known to be associated with a number of other comorbid conditions. If you have psoriasis, or know someone living with psoriasis, here are eight diseases that have been linked to the skin disease.

It’s no secret that 30 percent of those who suffer with psoriasis will also have arthritis. But some will acquire a unique form of arthritis called gout. The form of arthritis most of us are familiar with is due to a faulty signal within the immune system. However, Gout is caused by a metabolic issue due to high levels of uric acid in the blood that crystallize in the joints and cause pain.

A study found that those with psoriasis have an increased risk for abdominal aortic aneurysms which is a disease which causes the aorta to become severely inflamed. The study also concluded that a large number of people with AAA suffered from mild to severe psoriasis. Although there has not been much research on the correlation of the two diseases, findings prove that psoriasis is NOT a just a “skin issue.”

As of now, fibromyalgia is a misunderstood disease that causes unexplained pain of the body. Some have categorized it has a mental disorder, but studies are still being conducted to better understand the disorder. Clinical research found patients with psoriatic arthritis had a high frequency of fibromyalgia. Coincidently, many of the symptoms from fibromyalgia are similar to those with psoriasis.

According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, the mechanism responsible for Crohn’s disease is similar to psoriasis, “Dr. Abrar A. Qureshi, a dermatologist at Harvard… noticed a number of patients had both psoriasis and Crohn’s, leading him to wonder whether he could find a connection and, if he did, why that was the case…” It was found that 10 percent of women with psoriasis also had Crohn’s disease.

The most common feature of the disease in those with psoriasis is obesity, which is also a known feature of metabolic syndrome. Research found that 40 percent of people with psoriasis had metabolic syndrome compared to just 23 percent of the general population. According to the Mayo Clinic, metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that can lead to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

Both uveitis and psoriasis are auto-immune diseases, with uveitis characterized as an inflammatory eye disease. In an interview with the NPF, Dr. James T. Rosenbaum, an Oregon Health & Science University rheumatologist specializing in autoimmune diseases that affect the eye, noted that, "Patients with psoriasis are slightly more likely (than the average person) to get uveitis…”