Psoriasis Linked to Childhood Obesity

A common skin condition may create higher risks of gaining unnecessary weight among children.

A team of researchers from Northwestern University found an association between psoriasis, an autoimmune disease that affects the skin, and childhood obesity. Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes skin redness and irritation. It's characterized by thick and red skin with peeling, and white patches known as scales.

According to National Psoriasis Foundation, nearly 20,000 American children below the age of 10 are affected with psoriasis every year. For the study, lead author Amy Paller and colleagues looked at more than 600 children aged between five and 17 from nine countries across America, Europe and Asia.

They found the condition creating a twofold risk of becoming overweight or obese in children when compared to those without the disease.

"There has been increasing attention to the association of psoriasis and metabolic risks in adults, but this study shows that the association of being overweight or obese and having psoriasis may be even higher in affected children than in adults," Paller, chair of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said in a news release. "This is incredibly significant. It tells us these children are at increased risk of health complications (cardiac risk and insulin resistance) and need to be watched closely and treated."

American children with psoriasis were found four times more likely to become overweight or obese compared to children in other countries. The risks were particularly higher among Hispanics and African-American children than whites and Asians. Unlike previous studies based on registry data and diagnosis codes, the current study found a genetic factor leading to the occurrence. Nearly 30 percent of the children with the skin disease were found to have a family history of psoriasis.

Researchers also examined the risks of having a high body mass index (BMI) and psoriasis, and found psoriasis increasing cardiac risks by 3.1 percent.

"Perhaps our U.S. environment of eating more calories and getting less exercise along with a strong genetic component for the disease hikes the risk," Paller said. "There is something in the genetic makeup of these kids that predisposes them to these metabolic issues and positions psoriasis as a metabolic disorder. Psoriasis is driven by many of the same cytokines (proteins) that drive insulin resistance and being overweight."

The results of the study have been published online in Archives of Dermatology.