People with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with those who have psoriasis only or the general population, according to a study published in the September 2018 Rheumatology News.

To investigate that link, the UK-based research team recruited people who were newly diagnosed with PsA, known as “incident cases,” when they enrolled in the study. That approach allowed the researchers to follow what happened when and to whom.

“By looking at incident cases, we looked precisely at the rates and sequence of events in real time,” says senior author Neil McHugh, M.D., a rheumatologist and professor in the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology at the University of Bath.

McHugh and his team tracked when the symptoms of type 2 diabetes developed, including risk factors en route to diabetes such as metabolic syndrome, obesity and high blood pressure, among others.

After the team analyzed the data, the evidence was clear: Newly diagnosed PsA is a major risk factor and predictor of type 2 diabetes. To reduce that risk, says McHugh, specialists should screen and treat PsA patients for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes – as early as possible.

New Guidelines on Comorbidities Released

The National Psoriasis Foundation and the American Academy of Dermatology have released guidelines for the treatment of psoriasis and PsA with a focus on comorbidities.