14 DAY TRIAL // According to the latest studies, persons suffering from psoriasis are more likely to smoke, and this habit seems to worsen the condition.
In one of the reports, researchers found that patients who smoked more than a pack of cigarettes a day had twice the risk of having more severe psoriasis, compared to patients who smoked 10 cigarettes or less a day.
They also found that psoriasis was more severe among women who smoked than men who smoked.
Another report said that persons with psoriasis were more likely to smoke and be obese. However, it seems that patients started to smoke and gain in weight after developing the condition, which led researchers into suspecting the psychological side of the condition.
"Psoriasis is a disease that does something to the psyche that causes patients to care less about their appearance. Because they care less about their appearance, they are more willing to partake in other risky behaviors," speculated lead researcher Dr. Gerald G. Krueger, a professor of dermatology at the University of Utah School of Medicine.
Initially, researchers thought that obesity is one of the causes which led to psoriasis, but have discovered that things are the other way around.
"What happens is that psoriasis develops and then obesity develops as a consequence," Dr. Krueger said
Smoking, on the other hand, although it can be a consequence of the condition, it also contributes to the psoriasis' evolution.
"If you are not genetically predisposed to having psoriasis, one of the things that you can do to make sure that you get psoriasis is smoke," Krueger warned.