Heart disease, back pain and 4 other health risks linked to psoriatic arthritis
Learn about the medical conditions related to psoriatic arthritis.
Jan, 2026
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Slide 1
If you have psoriatic arthritis, you can see the way the autoimmune disease attacks your skin, and you can feel it in your bones. But the inflammation fueled by the condition is more than skin deep. Psoriatic arthritis may increase the risk of other problems that can affect you from head to toe.
Maybe you’re working with a dermatologist to treat your skin and a rheumatologist to relieve your joint pain. That’s a great start—but you need a complete care team to manage your total health. You also need to be aware of the signs of potential trouble, so you can get the care you need.
Written byEric Steinmehl.
Medically reviewed byAnn Wendling, MD, MPH.
Sources: Yap KS + 15
- Yap KS, Justine YY, Li S, Gladman DD, & Chandran V. Back pain in psoriatic arthritis: defining prevalence, characteristics and performance of inflammatory back pain criteria in psoriatic arthritis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 2018;77(11), 1573-1577.
- Arthritis Foundation. Psoriatic Arthritis and Back Pain. 2022. Accessed July 26, 2022.
- Arthritis Foundation. Psoriatic Arthritis and Your Heart. February 14, 2022. Accessed July 26, 2022.
- Loganathan A, Kamalaraj N, El‐Haddad C, & Pile K. Systematic review and meta‐analysis on prevalence of metabolic syndrome in psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases. 2021;24(9), 1112-1120.
- American Heart Association. About Metabolic Syndrome. March 25, 2021. Accessed July 26, 2022.
- Arthritis Foundation. The Ultimate Arthritis Diet. 2022. Accessed July 26, 2022.
- Arthritis Foundation. Enthesitis and PsA. 2022. Accessed July 26, 2022.
- National Psoriasis Foundation. Eye Inflammation and Psoriatic Arthritis. April 19, 2021. Accessed July 26, 2022.
- Dal Bello G, Gisondi P, Idolazzi L, & Girolomoni G. Psoriatic arthritis and diabetes mellitus: a narrative review. Rheumatology and therapy. 2020;7(2), 271-285.
- Arthritis Foundation. The Link Between Arthritis and Diabetes. 2022. Accessed July 26, 2022.
- Mathew AJ & Chandran V. Depression in psoriatic arthritis: dimensional aspects and link with systemic inflammation. Rheumatology and Therapy. 2020;7(2), 287-300.
- Ritchlin CT, Kavanaugh A, Gladman DD, et al. Treatment recommendations for psoriatic arthritis
- Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2009;68:1387-1394.
- National Psoriasis Foundation. Living with Psoriatic Arthritis. 2022. Accessed July 26, 2022.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diabetes: Type 2 Diabetes. December 16, 2021. Accessed July 26, 2022.
- Singh JA, Guyatt G, et al. 2018 American College of Rheumatology/National Psoriasis Foundation Guideline for the Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis. Arthritis & Rheumatology, Vol. 71, No. 1, January 2019, pp 5–32.
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