Dr Chris Steele of ITV This Morning reports on study into effects of smoking on risk of contracting the skin condition psoriasis.

Smoking raises risk of skin condition psoriasis

A new study of the interaction between smoking and the skin condition psoriasis shows that smoking increases the risk of contracting the disease, and that smoking increases the severity of the condition.

About psoriasis
Psoriasis is a skin condition that occurs when the skin replaces itself too quickly. It will cause patches on the skin which are red and have a "scaly" look.

Details of the study
The study investigated nearly 80 thousand nurses and was reported in the American Journal of Medicine. The study took place over a 14 year period, and included 887 cases of nurses with psoriasis. The study found that people who smoked had a 78% higher risk of getting psoriasis and even those who had quit previously still had a 37% higher risk.

The effects grew with the length of time the person smoked, and took many years to reduce after quitting. The study also reported that passive smoking (exposure to smoke by non-smokers) during pregnancy or childhood was associated with increased risk.

Dr Chris says
We all know that smoking is bad for your health and this study is yet another reason for any smokers who are thinking of quitting to start today.

More information
The Psoriasis Association web site


This content was created on Mon 29 October 2007

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