Heart Attack And Stroke Can Be Prevented By Treating Psoriasis

Heart Attack And Stroke Can Be Prevented By Treating Psoriasis

A clinical study led by the Montreal Heart Institute and Innovaderm Research Inc. showed an association between a new treatment for psoriasis and a significant incidence decrease of cardiovascular disease and vascular inflammation. The results of the study were presented on the 16th of March 2012 at the annual meeting of American Academy of Dermatology.

Psoriasis

Up to 3% of the population are affected by psoriasis, which is a disease characterised by the inflammation of the skin and joints. This study was based on the hypothesis that the treatment used to reduce the skin inflammation may also decrease the inflammation of the blood vessels.

The results of the study confirmed this hypothesis, proving that adalimumab, a biological anti-inflammatory compound used in the treatment of psoriasis also decreased the vascular inflammation by lowering the levels of C-reactive protein. This protein is associated with a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. There was a significant 51% decrease in the blood levels of C-reactive protein among patients who were receiving adalimumab while in the control group the blood levels of this protein decreased only by 2%. Also, the skin inflammation symptoms were improved in 70% of patients treated with adalimumab, compared to 20% of patients in the control group.

“This study is a great example of the high-level research being conducted in Montréal, ” said Dr. Robert Bissonnette, President and Founder of Innovaderm Research Inc. and co-principal author of the study.

“These findings are extremely encouraging for people suffering from psoriasis, as they face a greater risk of cardiovascular disease,” explained Dr. Jean-Claude Tardif, Director of the Research Centre of the Montreal Heart Institute and co-principal author of the study. A regular medical follow-up is very important for patients with psoriasis so that cardiovascular events can be prevented and so that the therapeutic approach established is optimum, he added.

Imaging as a tool for measuring vascular inflammation

The clinical study was conducted over a period of four months on 30 patients divided into two groups. The patients were suffering from moderate to severe psoriasis and they also has a history of artery disease or multiple cardiovascular risk factors. The first group received adalimumab in the form of subcutaneous injections, while the second group received a routine treatment that implied topical formulation of phototherapy. Each patient’s carotid arteries and aorta were scanned at the beginning and the end of the study by using positron emission tomography, which can measure  the level of vascular inflammation.