Belly Fat Linked To Higher Risk of Psoriasis, Says Major Study

A new study has revealed that excess belly fat may do more harm than just affect appearance-it could significantly raise the risk of developing psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin condition. Researchers from King's College London analysed data from over 330,000 individuals in the UK and found a strong link between abdominal fat and psoriasis.

Published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, the study evaluated 25 different fat-related body measurements. Those tied to belly fat, such as waist-to-hip ratio, abdominal fat ratio, waist circumference, and total abdominal fat tissue, showed the strongest associations with psoriasis. Surprisingly, traditional indicators like Body Mass Index (BMI) were found to be less accurate in predicting this risk.

Experts believe the study highlights the need for more targeted health evaluations beyond BMI, especially as belly fat becomes an increasing concern in public health.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that can have a significant impact on quality of life. Many individuals with psoriasis also have elevated levels of body fat. While it is well established that increasing levels of body fat raise the risk of developing psoriasis, the impact of specific fat distribution and genetics remains unclear.

Researchers of the current study analysed data from over 330,000 participants with White British ancestry in the UK Biobank, including more than 9,000 people with psoriasis. They examined 25 different measures of body fat using both traditional methods and advanced imaging techniques, assessing how each was associated with psoriasis.

Lead investigator Ravi Ramessur, MD, St John's Institute of Dermatology, King's College London, explains in a statement, "Our research shows that where fat is stored in the body matters when it comes to psoriasis risk. Central fat - especially around the waist - seems to play a key role. This has important implications for how we identify individuals who may be more likely to develop psoriasis or experience more severe disease and how we approach prevention and treatment strategies."

Catherine H. Smith, MD, also at St John's Institute of Dermatology, King's College London, and senior author, adds, "As rates of obesity continue to rise globally, understanding how different patterns of body fat influence chronic inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis is important. Our findings suggest that central body fat contributes to psoriasis risk irrespective of genetic predisposition and reinforces the importance of measuring waist circumference and proactive healthy weight strategies in psoriasis care."

Because this study only included individuals of White British ancestry from the UK Biobank, the generalisability of these findings to more diverse populations may be limited. Future studies incorporating datasets with dermatologist-confirmed diagnoses and broader ethnic representation will be important to further validate these associations and refine risk stratification approaches.

Dr Ramessur notes, "We were surprised by how consistently strong the association was across different central fat measures and how much stronger the effect was in women. The observed links between central body fat and psoriasis suggest that there may be underlying biological mechanisms contributing to the disease that are not yet fully understood and which warrant further investigation."