29-05-2025
Bariatric Surgery Linked With Psoriasis Improvement
Most patients with psoriasis experienced clinical improvement or remission after metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) in a systematic review.
METHODOLOGY:
Researchers conducted a systematic review of 14 studies that included 169 patients (mean age, 46.8 years; 74% women) with psoriasis who underwent MBS.
Participants underwent various surgical procedures; gastric bypass was the most common (75.1%), followed by sleeve gastrectomy (17.8%), gastric banding (5.3%), and jejunoileal bypass (0.6%). Psoriasis treatments prior to surgery included topical treatments (46.2%), non-biologic systemic treatments (35.5%), and biologics (16.6%).
At baseline, psoriasis severity was predominantly moderate (76.3%); 8.2% were severe and 15.6% were mild cases, based on psoriasis area and severity index and percent body surface area scores.
TAKEAWAY:
Average body mass index (BMI) decreased from 43.7 at baseline to 32.9after surgery, with BMI reduction ranging from 8 to 25 during follow-up periods of 4 months to 9 years.
Psoriasis was either mild or had completely resolved in 97.2% of patients after bariatric surgery, whereas 2.4% experienced worsening of psoriasis.
A total of 78.1% of patients continued psoriasis treatment post-surgery, but medications were downgraded to a lower category (such as systemic to topical treatments, or no treatment) in many patients.
IN PRACTICE:
'MBS may improve psoriasis outcomes following surgery,' the study authors wrote. 'While initial findings are promising, further controlled trials are necessary to validate the long-term effects of MBS on psoriasis and explore its potential role as an adjunctive therapy.'
SOURCE:
The study was led by Miranda K. Branyiczky, BSc, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and was published online on May 24 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology .
LIMITATIONS:
Limitations were reporting bias, variability in outcome measures, and the inclusion of case reports or series.
DISCLOSURES:
This study did not receive any funding. One author reported receiving grants, research support, speaker fees, and honoraria from multiple pharmaceutical companies including AbbVie, Alumis, Amgen, Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and Company, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, and Pfizer.
