People with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, collectively known as psoriatic disease, are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than others in the general population, according to research from a new study.
The new study, published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, which included 1,000 adults with psoriatic disease, found that elevated blood levels of two indicators of cardiovascular health—cardiac high-sensitivity troponin I (cTnI) and N-terminal pro-brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)—were associated with higher risks of experiencing cardiovascular problems independent of traditional risk factors such as hypertension and high cholesterol.
The findings encourage additional research evaluating the clinical potential of measuring cTnI and NT-proBNP levels to help assess the heart health of individual patients with psoriatic disease.
“Our study provides new insights regarding the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. However, at this time, ordering tests of cardiac biomarkers is not recommended for risk stratification of asymptomatic patients with psoriatic disease,” says senior Lihi Eder, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine at Women’s College Hospital and University of Toronto.
