Impact of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists on Psoriasis and Cardiovascular Comorbidities: A Narrative Review
Kathryn Haran, Chandler Johnson, Payton Smith, Zoë Venable, Allison Kranyak, Tina Bhutani, Caleb Jeon, Wilson Liao
Abstract
Psoriasis is an immune-mediated skin disease known to be associated with a higher risk of cardiometabolic comorbidities such as hypertension, myocardial infarction, and stroke. GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are medications approved to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity and have been reported to improve psoriasis. As more psoriasis patients start GLP-1RAs for approved indications, it is of interest to understand the impact of GLP-1RAs on both psoriasis and associated cardiovascular risk. In this review, we examine the effect of GLP-1RAs on psoriasis and cardiovascular comorbidities-defined as hypertension, stroke, and myocardial infarction. The majority of case reports and prospective cohort studies found GLP-1RAs improved psoriasis, while two randomized controlled trials showed conflicting results. For cardiovascular disease, most studies found GLP-1RAs reduced systolic blood pressure, total stroke, and myocardial mortality. These results suggest that GLP-1RAs may be a particularly promising treatment for psoriasis patients with diabetes or obesity comorbidities, offering both cardioprotective benefits and potential improvement in psoriatic symptoms.