[Medical Q&A] Will I gain weight if I have psoriasis?

Planner: Chinese Medical Association

Reviewer: Niu Jun Chief Physician of the General Hospital of the Northern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army

Psoriasis patients are prone to gain weight, and obesity will aggravate psoriasis and make the treatment of psoriasis patients more difficult.

Metabolic syndrome is a common comorbidity in patients with psoriasis. Obesity is a risk factor for the comorbidity of psoriasis and metabolic syndrome. Excessive release of inflammatory factors in adipose tissue can cause the onset of psoriasis. A study on the relationship between obesity and psoriasis conducted by Swiss scholars included 159,200 patients. After 10 years of follow-up, it was found that the incidence of obesity in female psoriasis patients increased. Other studies have found that patients with severe psoriasis have a higher incidence of obesity than those with mild psoriasis, and patients under 35 years old are more likely to be obese than those over 65 years old.

Additionally, studies have found that weight loss itself can improve psoriasis symptoms.