The link: Metabolic syndrome is a combination of health conditions that, together, increase your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Those conditions are high blood pressure, high triglycerides or low HDL, a wide
waistline, and high blood sugar.
Obesity often comes with metabolic syndrome, and it makes you more likely to have PsA. Excess fat tissue makes inflammation-causing proteins called cytokines. Inflammation increases your risk of getting metabolic syndrome.
PsA and metabolic syndrome may be linked to the same genes too.
Medications to treat PsA may put you at risk for metabolic syndrome, including:
- Steroids raise blood sugar, lead to high cholesterol, and cause weight gain.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for joint pain can raise your blood pressure and heart disease risk.
- Retinoids to treat psoriasis can affect your cholesterol levels.
Being obese can make PsA treatments less effective. You’re less likely to get relief from biologics called TNF blockers. Extra body fat boosts inflammation and makes it harder for these drugs to work.
PsA also makes it more likely for you to get type 2 diabetes. People with diabetes have high levels of inflammatory proteins in their blood. Metabolic syndrome can make you resistant to insulin, which can lead to diabetes.
Also, chronic inflammation from PsA makes your body more resistant to insulin. This hormone takes glucose from your blood and uses it to nourish your muscles and organs. Your pancreas will try to rev up insulin production, but if it
can’t make enough, you’ll end up with diabetes.
Your doctor can give you blood tests to find out if you have diabetes. You can take medications to boost your insulin production, improve how your body uses insulin, and decrease how much sugar your body makes and absorbs.