Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that mainly affects the skin, but it can also affect other organs. The relationship between psoriasis and type 2 diabetes, which emerged from a recent study, was discussed by Professor Antonio Costanzo, Head of Dermatology at Humanitas, a guest in the Tg2 Medicina study33.
“The systemic inflammation that is associated with psoriasis can also affect other organs and recently a study by the University of Philadelphia confirmed a close link between psoriasis and type 2 diabetes. The inflammation generated by psoriasis in fact affects the sensitivity to insulin: these patients are therefore more insulin-resistant and may develop type 2 diabetes,” explained the specialist.
What controls should a patient with psoriasis undergo?
“The dermatologist performs a staging of the disease in the patient with psoriasis and therefore for mild forms usually there are no other controls to undergo. In the moderate and severe forms it is good, for example, to control blood sugar and blood pressure and check for joint pain,” emphasizes Prof. Costanzo.
A mild form can then degenerate into a more severe form because “psoriasis is a very capricious disease and therefore there can be stages of aggravation, which can last up to years or can be permanent. A mild form may evolve into a more severe form or vice versa”.
Precision medicine in dermatology
“There are many new therapies. We have recently moved from empirical therapy, based on what we knew and other autoimmune diseases, to targeted therapies based on knowledge of the mechanisms of the pathogenesis of the disease. We will have increasingly targeted therapeutic modalities: the so-called precision medicine has also entered into Dermatology”, concluded Professor Costanzo.
Watch the interview with Professor Costanzo from minute 04.05, click here.
