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Obesity in children linked with psoriasis diagnosis

Children who were overweight or obese had an increased chance of developing psoriasis, according to data from a recent study.

Amy S. Paller, MD, of the department of dermatology and pediatrics at Northwestern University, and colleagues conducted a cohort study with 27 children who were overweight, obese and had psoriasis. Patients were recruited from three pediatric dermatology referral centers. The BMI percentiles of overweight children (86th to 95th) and obese children (96th and greater) were determined 1 and 2 years before psoriasis diagnosis and 1 and 2 years after. The mean BMI percentile at baseline was 96th.

 

Amy S. Paller

Twenty-five patients were either overweight or obese at onset and at 1 and 2 years before onset of psoriasis. One year after onset, 24 patients were overweight or obese, which dipped to 22 patients at 2 years after onset. One of the two patients who was not overweight or obese at onset showed increased BMI percentiles within 1 year after onset and was overweight at 1 year after onset. Two patients’ BMI percentile decreased after psoriasis onset, one from the 90th to 85th percentile and another from the 97th to 94th percentile.

Timing of psoriasis onset vs. excess adiposity did not correlate with being overweight vs. obese, birth weight, scalp or nail involvement, history of arthritis or family history of psoriasis or hyperlipidemia. Children with familial obesity, however, developed psoriasis earlier (mean age, 7 years vs. 10.3 years) than those without it (P=.02).

“In our pilot study, being overweight or obese preceded psoriasis by at least 2 years in 93% of children with psoriasis,” the researchers said. “Weight-loss programs are more successful in children 6 to 12 years old than in adolescents and when healthy diet and physical activity become a family activity. We recommend early lifestyle counseling of families with psoriasis, especially those with obesity.”

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.