A psoriasis treatment your heart will love
The immune system is the premier bodyguard of the human body. It protects us from many kinds of infections - fungal, bacterial, viral. When an infection or injury occurs, the immune system responds by triggering an inflammatory response, which sends an armada of cells and proteins to battle against the invaders and begin the healing process.
We all depend on these inflammatory responses to live normal, functioning lives. But there is a growing body of evidence which suggests that if inflammatory markers remain chronic and elevated, it can lead to complications over time.
In the mid-1990s, Dr. Paul Ridker, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, observed that some of his patients developed heart disease despite having normal levels of cholesterol. They did, however, have elevated markers of inflammation in their blood. More recently, Dr. Ridker expanded on this observation with a 2024 paper titled Inflammation, Cholesterol, Lipoprotein(a), and 30-Year Cardiovascular Outcomes in Women published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The paper contends that measuring an inflammatory marker called high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), along with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and lipoprotein(a), may help predict the cardiovascular risk in women.
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by an overactive immune response, leading to elevated levels of CRP and pro-inflammatory biomarkers such as IL-6, IL-12, IL-17, IL-23, TNF-a. So it’s no surprise that research has linked psoriasis to a higher risk of cardiovascular conditions, including plaque buildup, strokes, and heart attacks.
Dr. Joel Gelfand, a dermatologist from the University of Pennsylvania, published a 2024 paper in Nature titled Cardiodermatology: the Heart of the Connection between the Skin and Cardiovascular Disease. Among other insights, the paper evaluated a number of common skin treatments and its impact on cardiovascular risk. Plainly, it provides evidence that can help answer this critical question: which treatment(s) can effectively treat psoriasis and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease?
Most of the evaluated treatments - such as IL-12 and IL-23 inhibitors, JAK inhibitors, TNF inhibitors, methotrexate, retinoids - had either mixed or no evidence on its effect on cardiovascular risk. But there was one clear exception: ultraviolet light therapy. The paper states that:
Ultraviolet B therapy for psoriasis can lower levels of IL-6 and CRP in the blood while increasing good cholesterol (HDL).
Low-dose ultraviolet A therapy can temporarily reduce blood pressure in people with mild hypertension.
Natural sunlight exposure is associated with lower rates of heart disease, reduced blood pressure, and fewer deaths from cardiovascular conditions in observational studies.
More research is needed to establish this link before light therapy can be formally recommended as a preventative treatment for cardiovascular disease. But of the evaluated psoriasis treatments, ultraviolet light therapy has the clearest beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk factors.
Psoriasis is more than skin deep. Effective treatment should not only clear the skin but also address the risk of its associated comorbidities. Light therapy can play a key role in achieving this. Goeckerman therapy incorporates ultraviolet light therapy into its treatment regimen. While ultraviolet light therapy alone achieves a 40 to 60% efficacy in treating psoriasis, its effectiveness boosts to over 95% when combined with the full Goeckerman program.