Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting many people around the globe. Patients with psoriasis could be at an increased risk of developing atherosclerosis that can lead to coronary artery disease and myocardial infarctions.

A number of studies have suggested that psoriasis could be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease due to their shared properties of inflammation and similarities in pathological process. Also, epicardial fat is associated with cardiovascular disease and could be an independent risk factor for developing atherosclerosis.

It has been suggested that determining epicardial fat tissue can be a useful subclinical measure of cardiovascular disease in patients with psoriasis. An accurate, minimally invasive, and cost-effective measure of measuring the volume and thickness of epicardial fat is echocardiography and is progressively adopted too.

Echocardiographic measures of epicardial fat thickness as a marker of cardiovascular disease and therapeutic target in psoriasis patients may provide ways to better manage and prevent harmful downstream effects.

Source: Kamath P, Benesh G, Romanelli P, Iacobellis G. Epicardial Fat: A New Therapeutic Target in Psoriasis. Curr Pharm Des. 2019;25(46):4914-4918. doi:10.2174/1381612825666191206091105