Evidence suggests a potential causal link between psoriasis and cardiovascular disease, or CVD, according to a study published in Frontiers in Immunology. The researchers used genetic instruments from a genome-wide association study of European descent for psoriasis to examine the association. Genetic susceptibility to psoriasis was associated with an increased risk for heart failure, atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, valvular heart disease, and large artery stroke, but no associations were seen for cardioembolic stroke and small vessel stroke. Weak evidence of horizontal diversity and heterogeneity was seen in a sensitivity analysis, ensuring the stability of the results.
