Obesity, psoriasis and diabetes may all go together

A Danish study from the University of Copenhagen has discovered that obesity, type 2 diabetes and the chronic skin disease psoriasis may all be linked. According to the researchers, people with type 2 diabetes have a 50 percent greater chance of having psoriasis, and those who are obese (with a BMI over 35) had nearly double the odds of developing the condition. Psoriasis is a condition that results in skin inflammation that can cause the skin to appear patchy and red.

While the researchers have not drawn a definite conclusion as to the reason for the association, they hypothesize that it could be a matter of simple genetics, as well as behavioral factors such as smoking and drinking alcohol. There was no evidence that obesity causes psoriasis, or vice versa, but the link between the two conditions suggests that genetics may be a bigger factor than previously thought.

The study looked at data on nearly 34,000 twins aged 20 to 71. A statement published in JAMA Network Journals said, “There were 720 twin pairs discordant for psoriasis, where one twin had the disease and the other didn’t. Twins with psoriasis had a higher BMI than the co-twins without psoriasis and they were more likely to be obese. The prevalence of diabetes was the same in the twins with psoriasis compared with the co-twins with psoriasis.”

The researchers found that at least 7.6 percent of those participants who had diabetes also had psoriasis, compared to 4.1 percent of study participants who had psoriasis but did not have diabetes. The average BMI of those who had psoriasis was also higher than those who did not have the skin condition.

The authors theorized that perhaps psoriasis could lead individuals to more sedentary lifestyles which would lead to obesity and diabetes, but did not rule out that the conditions could be a cause of the skin condition.