LONG-TERM air pollutant exposure has been linked to an increased risk of psoriasis in findings from a recent study led by Junhui Wu, Peking University, Beijing, China. Psoriasis is a common autoinflammatory disease that affects the skin and can lead to significant physical and economic burdens. It is associated with cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, and increased mortality but has no definitive cure.
Previous studies have linked short-term air pollution exposure to increased psoriasis-related hospital visits in countries including China, South Korea, and Italy. However, there has been limited evidence on the long-term effects of air pollution and its interaction with genetic factors in the risk of developing psoriasis.
The study included demographic, health, and medical history data from 500,000 participants, aged between 37–73 years old obtained using the UK Biobank. After exclusions, data from 474,055 participants were analysed using Cox proportional hazards models to assess the associations between air pollution, genetic risk, and psoriasis incidence.
The team observed that over nearly 12 years, 4,031 new psoriasis cases were identified. Results showed that individuals with psoriasis had higher BMI, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes rates, were more often male, active smokers, and less physically active. Additionally, the research team observed a statistically significant association between air pollutant exposure and genetic predisposition when analysing the prevalence of psoriasis within the study cohort.
Following this analysis, the study concludes that higher pollution exposure significantly increased psoriasis risk. However, the limitations of the research include potential selection bias, incomplete genetic data, and the predominance of White European participants. Future studies should address these gaps and consider diverse populations. Given the increasing incidence of psoriasis, these findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to reduce air pollution exposure, especially for individuals with high genetic risk, to potentially prevent psoriasis to combat this growing public health concern.
Katie Wright, EMJ
Reference
Wu J et al. Exposure to air pollution, genetic susceptibility, and psoriasis risk in the UK. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(7):e2421665.
