Psoriasis and Cardiovascular Disease: Impact of Therapy with TNF-alpha Inhibitors

Abstract

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects 2 to 3% of the population. Several studies have shown that psoriasis is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease due to the increased prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors, and chronic systemic inflammation that promotes the development of endothelial dysfunction and premature atherosclerosis. This literature review aims to evaluate the impact of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors in endothelial function and the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. The studies conducted to date suggest that treatment of psoriasis with these drugs is associated with improvement in endothelial dysfunction markers and subclinical atherosclerosis and a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.