Smoking linked to psoriasis
Smoking increases the risk of the skin condition psoriasis
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Monday, 29, Oct 2007 10:10
Smoking increases the risk of the irritating skin condition psoriasis, researchers have found.
According to the study published in the American Journal of Medicine, heaviest smokers are most as risk and this risk only slowly decreases after quitting.
Psoriasis is a recurrent skin condition that affects about two per cent of people in the UK. It appears as red patches on the skin and can be irritating.
American and Canadian researchers studied data including smoking information from the Nurses Health Study II, an ongoing study of 116,608 female registered nurses aged between 25 and 42.
During the study, which started in 1989, the researchers noted 887 incidents of psoriasis.
Women who smoked were 78 per cent more likely to develop the skin condition than those who had never smoked, while past smokers had a 37 per cent higher risk.
The longer women smoked, the higher their risk grew; the researchers estimate that smoking for over 21 years more than doubles the risk of psoriasis.
Once people kicked the habit their risk fell to that of never-smokers 20 years later.
Exposure to passive smoking during pregnancy or childhood was also associated with an increased risk of psoriasis.
Researcher Dr Hyon Choi commented: "These findings, along with well-established hazardous health effects of smoking, provide clear incentives for smoking cessation in those at risk for and suffering from psoriasis.
"Beyond the potential effect on psoriasis, smoking cessation would lead to a better overall clinical outcome in psoriasis patients, who often suffer co-morbidities related to smoking."