Patients who suffer moderate to severe psoriasis are at a heightened risk of developing uncontrolled hypertension, in comparison to those without psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a skin condition that produces areas of thickened, scaled skin. The dry flakes of skin scales that form are believed to be the result of very rapid generation of skin cells triggered by an immune attack by abnormal lymphocytes.

Common areas of the body affected by this skin condition include the elbows, knees, and scalp. Psoriasis affects 7.4 million adults in the U.S., and its prevalence has remained stable since the mid-2000s.

In the study conducted by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, 1,322 patients with psoriasis and hypertension and 11,977 patients with hypertension but not psoriasis were analyzed. The researchers, led by Junko Takeshita, M.D., Ph.D., examined the effect that psoriasis had on blood pressure control.

The researchers found that the likelihood of uncontrolled hypertension increased with severity of psoriasis. Therefore, the chances of uncontrolled hypertension was highest among patients with moderate and severe psoriasis.

“Adding to the currently limited understanding of the effects of comorbid disease on hypertension, our findings have important clinical implications, suggesting a need for more effective management of blood pressure in patients with psoriasis, especially those with more extensive skin involvement [greater than or equal to 3 percent of body surface area affected],” said Takeshita in a statement.

The findings of the study are published in JAMA Dermatology.