Light therapy. A doctor shines ultraviolet light on your skin to slow the growth of skin cells. PUVA is a treatment that combines a medicine called psoralen with a special form of ultraviolet light. A problem with your immune system causes psoriasis. In a process called cell turnover,

Many people who are predisposed to psoriasis may be free of symptoms for years until the disease is triggered by some environmental factor. Common psoriasis triggers include: There is no cure for psoriasis, but psoriasis treatments can improve symptoms. Your provider may prescribe a s

Obesity is another factor associated with psoriasis. Whether it is related to weight alone, genetic predisposition to obesity, or a combination of the 2 is not certain. Onset or worsening of psoriasis with weight gain and/or improvement with weight loss is observed. The opinions expre

A systematic review of 90 studies confirmed that patients with psoriasis had a higher risk of ischemic heart disease, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease but also a greater prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease, compared with controls. The authors concluded that large prospective

The differentiation of psoriatic arthritis from rheumatoid arthritis and gout can be facilitated by the absence of the typical laboratory findings of those conditions.