Some health conditions like obesity are likely to invite additional issues. A new research conducted by researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Southern California's Department of Research & Evaluation in Pasadena, suggests that obese and overweight kids are more likely to get affected with Psoriasis.
Again, adolescent children, who have psoriasis, an inflammatory skin condition, are more susceptible to have high blood cholesterol levels irrespective of their body weight. The study just supports the other evidences which try to set up a link between heart diseases and psoriasis.
The exact relationship between the two conditions is not clear, but the slow, simmering inflammation may serve as the common factor. Psoriasis is characterized by the development of thick, silver, itchy plaques on scalp, elbows and knees.
"Our findings may change the way we look at psoriasis in youth," says Corinne Koebnick, PhD, a research scientist involved in the study. The researcher suggested that children with psoriasis need to be monitored for cardiovascular risks especially if they are obese. "Adults with psoriasis have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and stroke and have a higher mortality, which means these conditions apparently shorten their lives," she continues.
The study was conducted with 710,949 children and it was found that obese children stood at a 40 percent greater risk of having psoriasis in comparison to the ones who had normal weight. Children who were extremely obese, were found to be almost 80 percent more likely to suffer from psoriasis in comparison the normal-weight kids.
In teens affected with psoriasis, the blood cholesterol levels and the liver enzymes were found to be 4 percent to 16 percent higher compared to the teens without psoriasis. Experts believe that psoriasis in children should stand as a red flag or as a marker to point out cardiovascular issues.
