Due to excessive angiogenesis linked with psoriasis, patients with the disease are at a higher risk for developing cardiovascular ischemia, according to a study published in the Indian Dermatology Online Journal. Alpana Mohta, MD, and colleagues conducted a case-controlled study to examine the association between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-mediated angiogenesis and cardiovascular ischemia in patients with psoriasis. Researchers measured VEGF level, cardiovascular ischemia, and cutaneous vascularity between both groups. Noninvasive imaging tools were used to assess cutaneous vascularity. Noninvasive techniques by measuring carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and pulsewave velocity (PWV) were used to assess cardiovascular ischemia, and ultrasound imaging was used to determine the arterial vasa vasorum. A significant association was observed between levels of VEGF (P<0.001) and psoriasis severity.
