Beneath the Surface: How to assess cardiovascular risk in patients with psoriasis

Beneath the Surface is a video series in which Joel M. Gelfand, MD, MSCE, Healio Dermatology Chief Medical Editor, discusses hot topics in the field with leading experts.

In the second of a three-part edition honoring Heart Month, Gelfand, who is also the James J. Leyden Professor of Clinical Investigation and professor of dermatology and epidemiology at University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, and Brittany Weber, MD, PhD, FACC, FASNC, director of the Cardio-Rheumatology Clinic at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, delve into how best to evaluate patients with inflammatory disease such as psoriasis for cardiovascular risks.

Full cardiac and inflammatory histories, as well as risk factor assessments, are important, according to Weber.

Adding high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and lipoprotein(a) screenings to lipid panels can be beneficial, whereas imaging tests such as a coronary calcium score can also be needed for some patients.

“There is increased prevalence of noncalcified plaque within these inflammatory disorders, but the calcium remains a very good snapshot,” Weber said.