People who suffer from a heart attack are significantly more likely to suffer a recurrent attack or a stroke if they have psoriasis, a new study has found.

Psoriasis is a skin condition that appears as pink or red raised patches on the skin. These patches, which are known as plaques, have a well-defined edge around them. They also have a scaly surface and can be large or small. Around 100,000 people in Ireland are affected.

Danish researchers looked at almost 50,000 people who had suffered a first heart attack between 2002 and 2006. Almost 500 of these had psoriasis and all of the participants were monitored for almost two years.

The study found that those with psoriasis were 18% more likely to die from all causes than those without the condition. It also found that those with psoriasis were 26% more likely to go on to die from heart disease, suffer another heart attack or suffer a stroke.

The researchers explained that with psoriasis, the skin cells we constantly shed are replaced much faster than normal, leading to a build-up of psoriasis plaques.

"Heart attacks are also caused by a build-up of plaque, in the arteries leading to the heart. Our study explored the links between the two conditions, which appear to have similar inflammatory mechanisms," noted lead researcher, Dr Ole Ahlehoff, of Copenhagen University Hospital.

The team said that this is the first study to investigate the prognosis in psoriasis patients after suffering a heart attack. It added that the findings suggest the need for ‘a more aggressive approach to secondary prevention' of heart disease among this particular group of patients.

Details of these findings are published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.

For more information on this skin condition, see Irishhealth.com's Psoriasis Clinic

For more information on heart health, see Irishhealth.com's Heart Disease Clinic