2 NEWS JULY 2009 • SKIN & ALLERGY NEWS Add Vascular Disease to Skin & Allergy News President, IMNG Alan J. Imhoff

List of Psoriasis Risks Editor in Chief Mary Jo M. Dales Executive Director, Operations Jim Chicca Executive Editors Denise Fulton, Kathy Scarbeck Director, Production/Manufacturing Yvonne Evans BY MARY ANN MOON Managing Editor Amy Pfeiffer death. Mortality was nearly 20% among Production Manager Judi Sheffer Deputy Managing Editor Richard Franki patients with psoriasis, compared with Production Specialists Anthony Draper, Senior Editors Christina Chase, Kathryn Rebecca Slebodnik eople with psoriasis are at higher 10% among patients in the control group. DeMott, Lori Buckner Farmer, Joyce Frieden, Information Technology Manager Doug Sullivan risk than others for a full range of Because this was an observational Catherine Hackett, Keith Haglund, Gina L. Senior Systems Administrator Lee J. Unger atherosclerotic diseases, not just car- study, it could not be determined Henderson, Sally Koch Kubetin, Teresa P Lassman, Mark S. Lesney, Jane Salodof Systems Administrator/Application Support diovascular but also cerebrovascular and whether psoriasis and its attendant in- MacNeil, Catherine Cooper Nellist, Calvin Peter Ayinde peripheral vascular diseases, according to flammation caused the atherosclerosis. Pierce, Terry Rudd, Elizabeth Wood Creative Director Louise A. Koenig Design Supervisor Elizabeth Byrne Lobdell a new report. Also unknown is whether aggressive Associate Editors Felicia Rosenblatt Black, Senior Designers Sarah L. Gallant, Julie Keller The magnitude of risk appears to be treatment of either cardiovascular risk Therese Borden, Lorinda Bullock, Jay C. Cherniak, Virginia Ingram-Wells, Jane Designer Lisa M. Marfori similar to that of other well-established car- factors or psoriasis will improve patients’ Locastro, Renée Matthews, Denise Napoli, Photo Editor Catherine Harrell diovascular risk fac- total atherosclerot- Carol Nicotera-Ward, Leanne Sullivan Project Manager Susan D. Hite tors such as dyslipi- ‘Clinicians caring for patients ic burden. Reporters Chicago: Patrice Wendling; Denver: Assignments Manager Megan Evans Bruce Jancin; London: Jonathan Gardner; Accounts Payable Coordinator Daniela Silva demia, smoking, with this skin disorder should For the present, Los Angeles: Betsy Bates; Miami: Damian hypertension, and “we recommend McNamara; Mid-Atlantic: Michele G. diabetes, said Dr. use a lower threshold when that health care Sullivan; New England: Diana Mahoney; New York: Mary Ellen Schneider; Srjdan Prodanovich considering testing for providers who are Philadelphia: Mitchel L. Zoler; San Diego: V.P., Med. Ed./Bus. Development Sylvia H. caring for patients Doug Brunk; San Francisco: Sherry Boschert, of the departments Reitman of dermatology and peripheral arterial disease, with psoriasis be Robert Finn; Washington: Alicia Ault, Jeff Evans, Elizabeth Mechcatie, Heidi Splete, Program Manager, Med. Ed. Malika Wicks cutaneous surgery carotid disease, or coronary vigilant with re- Miriam E. Tucker, Kerri Wachter Circulation Analyst Barbara Cavallaro, 973- at the University of spect to traditional Contributing Writers Christine Kilgore, 290-8253, [email protected] Miami and associ- artery disease.’ [cardiovascular] risk Mary Ann Moon Marketing Associate Jennifer Savo Director of Sales Mark E. Altier, 973-290- Editorial Offices 5635 Fishers Lane, Suite ates. In recent years, factor screening. 8220, [email protected] psoriasis has been linked to myocardial in- “Many of these patients are cared for sole- 6000, Rockville, MD 20852, 877-524-9336, [email protected] National Account Manager Sally Cioci, 973- farction. Dr. Prodanovich and colleagues ly by dermatologists. It would be prudent 290-8215, fax 973-290-8250, investigated whether the inflammatory for dermatologists to be familiar with sug- [email protected] skin disease could be associated with oth- gested screening for cardiovascular risk fac- Business Controller Dennis Quirk Adv. Services Manager Joan Friedman er manifestations of atherosclerosis as well. tors and recommendations for aspirin use. SKIN & ALLERGY NEWS is an independent news- Credit Supervisor Patricia H. Ramsey They assessed the prevalences of is- If not, it is imperative that they work in col- paper that provides the practicing dermatologist Manager, Admin./Conventions Lynne Kalish chemic heart disease, cerebral vascular laboration with a primary care provider or with timely and relevant news and commentary Receptionist Linda Wilson disease, and peripheral arterial disease in another internal medicine specialist,” Dr. about clinical developments in the field and about the impact of health care policy on the spe- 3,236 patients with psoriasis and 2,500 Prodanovich and associates said. cialty and the physician’s practice. Advertising Offices 60 Columbia Rd., Bldg. B, nonpsoriatic control patients treated at “Clinicians caring for patients with this 2nd flr., Morristown, NJ 07960, 973-290- The ideas and opinions expressed in SKIN & AL- 8200, fax 973-290-8250 LERGY NEWS do not necessarily reflect those of the Miami VA Medical Center between skin disorder should use a lower threshold Classified Sales Manager Andrea LaMonica, 1985 and 2006. when considering testing for peripheral ar- the Publisher. Elsevier Inc. will not assume re- 800-381-0569, fax 914-381-0573, sponsibility for damages, loss, or claims of any [email protected] After controlling for subject age, sex, and terial disease, carotid disease, or coronary kind arising from or related to the information Classified Advertising Offices 1120 Jensen history of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipi- artery disease in those with typical or contained in this publication, including any Avenue, Mamaroneck, NY 10543, 800-381- demia, and smoking status, the researchers atypical symptoms,” they added. claims related to the products, drugs, or services 0569 mentioned herein. found that patients with psoriasis were ap- The investigators reported no financial Address Changes Fax change of address (with proximately twice as likely as controls to conflicts of interest. ■ POSTMASTER Send changes of address (with old mailing label) to 973-290-8245 or e-mail old mailing label) to SKIN & ALLERGY NEWS Cir- change to [email protected] have any of these types of vascu- nd culation, 60 Columbia Rd., Bldg. B, 2 flr., Mor- Reprints Call 240-221-2419 lar disease. Best Practices In: ristown, NJ 07960. This finding “has tremendous SKIN & ALLERGY NEWS (ISSN 0037-6337) is ©Copyright 2009, by Elsevier Inc. and far-reaching clinical implica- published monthly by Elsevier Inc., 60 Columbia tions, as all of these vascular con- Rd., Bldg. B, 2nd flr., Morristown, NJ 07960, 973- Treating Rosacea 290-8200, fax 973-290-8250. Subscription price is ditions represent a major finan- $103.00 per year. Periodicals postage paid at cial cost to the health care a supplement supported by Galderma. Morristown, NJ, and additional offices. system as well as a major cause Available at: INTERNATIONAL Founding Publisher: Jack O. Scher MEDICAL NEWS of disability and death,” they www.skinandallergynews.com/ Founding Editor: William Rubin GROUP noted (Arch. Dermatol. 2009; content/bestpractices 145:700-3). See page 11. Psoriasis was also found to be an independent risk factor for VITAL SIGNS Top 10 Pharmaceutical Companies by U.S. Sales EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD (in billions)

ELIOT BATTLE JR., M.D., Howard Universi- ALICE B. GOTTLIEB, M.D., Tufts University, 25 ty, Washington, D.C. Boston 2008 20 2007 LESLIE S. BAUMANN, M.D., University ADELAIDE A. HEBERT, M.D., University of of Miami Texas, Houston 15 DAVID E. COHEN, M.D., New York BROOKE ASHLEY-ANN JACKSON, M.D., North- University, N.Y. western University, Chicago 10 SUZANNE M. CONNOLLY, M.D., Mayo Clin- RONALD P. R APINI, M.D., University of ic, Scottsdale, Ariz. Texas, Houston 5 EWS

DIRK M. ELSTON, M.D., Geisinger Med- RANDALL K. ROENIGK, M.D., Mayo Clinic, N 0 ical Center, Danville, Pa. Rochester, Minn. Lilly Pfizer EDICAL

Merck Amgen M RICHARD G. GLOGAU, M.D., University of ROBERTA D. SENGELMANN, M.D., Private Novartis California, San Francisco practice,Santa Barbara, Calif. AstraZeneca Sanofi Aventis GlaxoSmithKline LOBAL G NEIL S. GOLDBERG, M.D., Private prac- ROBERT A. WEISS, M.D., Johns Hopkins Johnson & Johnson Hoffman-LaRoche (including Genentech) tice, Bronxville, N.Y. University, Baltimore Source: IMS Health LSEVIER E