A pilot care-coordination program developed by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania identified previously undiagnosed elevated cardiovascular disease risk in 23 of more than 80 patients with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis, representing about 28% of participants. The program enrolled patients across four dermatology and rheumatology practices and connected them with National Psoriasis Foundation care coordinators for one year. Participants received lipid and hemoglobin A1C testing, at-home blood pressure monitoring, virtual care-coordination visits, and tailored diet and exercise guidance designed for people with psoriatic disease.

Patients with newly identified cardiovascular risk were given guideline-based recommendations, including potential blood pressure or cholesterol medications, and were connected with their primary care providers for follow-up. Investigators said the findings suggest that a centralized care-coordinator model may help close gaps in cardiovascular risk screening and prevention for patients with psoriatic disease, who are at increased risk for high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, diabetes, and cardiovascular mortality. The positive pilot results have prompted researchers to launch a larger trial involving more than 500 patients across 10 to 20 US centers.

Reference: Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. New program for psoriasis patients highlights cardiovascular risk. Medical Xpress. Published January 8, 2024. Accessed June 11, 2026. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-01-psoriasis-patients-highlights-cardiovascular.html

The National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) issued a new position statement clarifying how psoriasis severity should be defined, with the goal of improving patient access to appropriate care. The statement challenges outdated severity classifications that rely primarily on body surface area involvement and may prevent patients from receiving modern therapies. NPF emphasizes that psoriasis is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disease-not simply a cosmetic condition-and undertreatment can increase the risk of serious comorbidities, including psoriatic arthritis and cardiovascular disease.

Under the new two-class framework, patients should be considered as having either mild psoriasis, which can be managed with topical therapies, or moderate-to-severe psoriasis, which may warrant advanced treatment. Moderate-to-severe disease is not limited to cases involving at least 10% body surface area; it also includes patients who do not achieve adequate control with topical therapy or who have psoriasis affecting high-impact areas such as the face, scalp, hands, feet, nails, or genitals. The statement aligns with international consensus and patient survey findings showing that severity should account for quality of life, treatment response, and lesion location, not just visible skin involvement.

Reference: National Psoriasis Foundation. NPF Issues Position Statement on Psoriasis Severity and Access to Care. Published December 30, 2025. Accessed June 11, 2026. https://www.psoriasis.org/position-statement-on-psoriasis-severity/

Researchers at MedUni Vienna have identified systemic inhibition of the S100A9 gene as a potential strategy for reducing inflammation in both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Psoriasis affects about 250,000 people in Austria, and roughly one-third develop psoriatic arthritis. Building on previous research showing that psoriasis symptoms disappeared when S100A9 was deactivated throughout the body, the team found that targeting S100A9 systemically may reduce disease severity more effectively than treating inflammation locally in the skin.

The findings suggest a possible shift in how psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis could be treated, diagnosed, and potentially prevented. In preclinical experiments, researchers found that inhibiting S100A9 only in skin cells may actually enhance inflammatory responses, indicating that future S100A9-targeted therapies would likely need to be delivered systemically, such as through oral medication or infusion. The researchers say this work may help lay the groundwork for new targeted therapies that address the broader immune-driven inflammation underlying both skin and joint disease.

Reference: Medical University of Vienna. Psoriasis: Study lays foundation for new treatment strategy. ScienceDaily. Published July 6, 2022. Accessed June 11, 2026. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/07/220706133304.htm