A nationwide advertisement some time ago cited the “heartbreak of psoriasis,” and those who suffer from the skin disorder find that an apt description. Between 1 and 3 percent of the U.S. population suffer from the chronic skin disease with patches of scaly skin with a red itchy look, or silver dead-looking skin. Psoriasis was long considered a problem for a dermatologist, but recent developments indicate that it is an autoimmune disease with a possible genetic link that can be aggravated by smoking and alcohol consumption. The disease is not contagious, but it is incurable. Some treatments will temporarily alleviate the symptoms, but will not cure the disorder.

The study used data on 78,061 women between the ages of 27 and 44 who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study. The women were followed for 14 years. None had diabetes at the start of the study. Autoimmune diseases cause chronic inflammation within the body and inflammation is a risk factor for high blood pressure and may help foster insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes. The authors considered that chronic inflammation could explain why women with psoriasis had a 63 percent increased risk of developing diabetes and a 17 percent increased risk of developing high blood pressure, compared to women without psoriasis.

Because the study was restricted to white women, the findings cannot be generalized to men or other races, according to the researchers.