For patients with psoriasis, sleep disturbance is common, affecting up to 85.4%, which is over twice the rate in the general population. The impact of sleep disturbances in patients with psoriasis may be linked to pain, pruritus, psoriatic arthritis, psychological conditions, or inflammatory processes affecting sleep physiology. These patients are also at risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and all-cause mortality—the same conditions associated with sleep impairment.

This study explored the relationship between sleep duration and myocardial infarction in patients with psoriasis. The results, based on data from the 2020 National Psoriasis Foundation Annual Survey, indicated a significant association, with each additional hour of nightly sleep associated with a 33% decrease in the odds of having a history of myocardial infarction. This relationship was independent of factors like psoriasis severity, psoriatic arthritis, sleep apnea, and other traditional myocardial infarction risk factors. However, the study’s cross-sectional design limits conclusions on causality, and future research is needed to explore interventions aimed at improving sleep and health outcomes in patients with psoriasis.

Reference: Spencer RK, Jin JQ, Elhage KG, et al. Association Between Poor Sleep and Myocardial Infarction in Patients with Psoriasis: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Study with the National Psoriasis Foundation. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2023;13(11):2903-2909. doi: 10.1007/s13555-023-01045-4.