A new dangerous property found in belly fat

Belly fat turned out to be the main "culprit" of psoriasis - new research by British scientists. The results of the work by specialists from the St. John's Institute of Dermatology have been published in the authoritative scientific journal Journal of Investigative Dermatology (JID).

Psoriasis is a chronic non-infectious disease in which the immune system attacks healthy skin cells. It usually manifests as rashes, but can also affect nails and joints.

Scientists have long established a link between obesity and psoriasis, but until recently it remained a mystery which type of fat deposits plays a key role. A large-scale study covering more than 330 thousand participants from the British Biobank, including over 9 thousand patients with psoriasis, has dotted the i's. Specialists analyzed 25 different indicators of fat deposits using modern imaging methods. The result was unexpected: it was abdominal (visceral) fat that showed the strongest correlation with the risk of developing psoriasis, and this connection is especially pronounced in women.

During their work, scientists also drew attention to a promising direction of treatment - incretin drugs that affect the hormones GLP-1 and GIP. These substances, which regulate blood sugar levels, appetite and digestion, are already successfully used in the treatment of diabetes and obesity. Now they can open a new page in the therapy of psoriasis, offering a comprehensive approach to the treatment of this complex disease.