Intestinal diseases increase the risk of psoriasis – healing practice

Relationship between intestinal diseases and psoriasis

About 160 million people in the world population suffer from it psoriasis. In this country, about 1.5 million people suffer from inflammation skin disease affected, which is known in technical terms as psoriasis. A study now provides evidence that chronic inflammatory bowel disease a risk factor for psoriasis.

In Germany, about 1.5 million people are affected by psoriasis. A recent publication in the journalJAMA DermatologyA study published by the Chair of Epidemiology at the University of Augsburg now shows that one of the causes of the appearance of this chronic inflammatory disease of the skin and sometimes also of the joints and other organs can be the presence of ‘a chronic inflammatory bowel disease in which those affected experience regular diarrhea, bloody stools and abdominal cramps.

Intestinal diseases and psoriasis often occur together

“We often observe that intestinal diseases and psoriasis coexist. We took the opportunity to determine if there is a link between these two diseases.explains Dr. Dennis Freuer, research associate at the chair of epidemiology at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Augsburg, in a recent Message.

“For this, we used the so-called Mendelian randomization approach: within the framework of this method, we used mathematical models to genetic information treated from nearly half a million individuals that we had from genetic studies”continues the first author of the study.

If genetic information is associated with both diseases in a very characteristic way, then mathematically sound conclusions about causation Connections be fired.

Clear results

According to the researchers, the results were clear: if a person has chronic inflammatory bowel disease, the risk of later developing psoriasis with or without it increases. joint inflammation occurs. Conversely, however, no link could be proven.

The subgroup analyzes suggested that in particular Crohn’s disease and not ulcerative colitis is responsible for the risk, or increases the risk.

Further studies needed

Further studies are now needed to clarify exactly how pathological processes are in the body.

However, the results of the current study are of great importance for medical care because they not only contribute to a better understanding of how psoriasis develops, but also clearly show that diagnosis and treatment the disciplines responsible for the two clinical pictures will have to work together in the future.

“It is important that general practitioners and gastroenterologists, who are primarily responsible for the maintenance of patients with chronic bowel disease are responsible to know that these patients have an increased risk of psoriasis”says Professor Christa Meisinger, co-author of the study.

“They need to pay special attention to it in order to make the diagnosis of psoriasis at an early and adequate stage in case of skin symptoms or joint problems. therapy initiate”, according to the scientist. (ad)