Bariatric surgery treats psoriasis and arthritis

Weight loss reduces symptoms of systemic fat inflammation that accompanies obesity. Symptoms of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are treated. Therefore, in cases of severe obesity, bariatric surgery brings relief to patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, due to the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. The results of a study recently presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in San Francisco confirm the benefits of bariatric surgery.

Advantages of the method

Systemic inflammation associated with obesity or heavy overweight is an aggravating factor for many pathologies. Bariatric surgery and subsequent weight loss according to the results of new studies have many positive effects: it protects against liver damage, increases sexuality, eliminates incontinence, etc., but it is particularly useful for the prevention of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

A recent study by the Inserm team confirmed that bariatric surgery significantly reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Researchers suggest that obesity contributes to the risk of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis due to systemic inflammation of adipose tissue.

The results of scientific work allow us to state the advantages of bariatric surgery and the restoring effect in cases of psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis, which is characterized by joint inflammation associated with psoriasis. "Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease with very uncomfortable and often painful symptoms for patients, and this treatment can reduce symptoms and improve quality of life," says the author, Dr. Reddy Soumya, director of New York University’s Langone Medical Center.

Bariatric surgery may reduce symptoms of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis compared with the initial condition.

Study progress

Doctors analyzed the medical records of 9,073 patients who underwent bariatric surgery and subsequent weight loss between 2002 and 2013.
Eighty-six patients had psoriasis before surgery.
Among them were 21 patients diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis.
Scientists compared their symptoms before and after over a 6-year follow-up period. Monitoring has shown that:

patients have lost, on average, about 50% of their overweight;
55% of patients with psoriasis and 62% of patients with psoriatic arthritis showed a significant improvement in symptoms;
in the postoperative period, there was a significant decrease in the severity of the disease;
patients who have lost more weight within 1 year of surgery show more improvement;
even when symptoms are severe at the time of surgery and later, symptoms improve significantly.
Dermatologists, rheumatologists, and surgeons must work together to treat the overweight and psoriasis patient group. Large-scale studies are planned to better understand the full effects of bariatric surgery on patients with various inflammatory diseases.