Paediatric psoriasis and obesity

[Fred]

We're often being told that obesity can make psoriasis worse, but this study suggests that obesity in Children is not associated with disease severity and course.

Quote:

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Background/Objectives:

The current literature suggests there is a possible connection between paediatric psoriasis and obesity. However, there is a paucity of research on the influence of increased adiposity on the severity of paediatric psoriasis and disease progression. We aimed to compare the prevalence of being overweight or obese in paediatric psoriasis patients and controls and assess the potential impact of being overweight/obese on disease severity and progression of disease.

Methods:

This multicentre prospective case-control study included 289 psoriasis patients (aged < 18 years) treated and followed up by one of the four university hospitals in Turkey. The control group consisted of 151 consecutive age-matched and sex-matched children who lacked a personal or family history of psoriasis. The participants' characteristics, psoriasis-related parametres (e.g., initial subtype, psoriasis area and severity index, presence of psoriatic arthritis) and body mass index were determined.

Results:

The difference between the prevalence of being overweight/obese among psoriatics (28%) and the control group (19%) was significant (P = 0.024). Being overweight/obese had no significant impact on disease severity and unresponsiveness to topical treatment. Within a median follow-up time of 12 months, 23% of our patients with localised disease at disease onset progressed to generalised disease. The impact of being overweight/obese on disease progression was found to be non-significant; however, disease duration was found to have a significant impact on disease progression (P = 0.026).

Conclusions:

Although it is not associated with disease severity and course, increased bodyweight may be a health problem for psoriatic children.

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com

*Early view funding unknown.

[jiml]

I have no doubt that there is a link, but I wonder about the cause, we all as sufferers know how it affects our self worth as people, and many turn to comfort eating ( not a sensible thing to do ) but low self esteem and a lack of drive is something I have felt in the past, and it would have been so easy to turn to snacks for comfort...
Children I'm sure are no different, so you are covered in psoriasis, with few friends. So they possibly turn to comfort eating.....just my thoughts on the subject