(Reuters Health) – – Children with psoriasis more often have thick waists than kids without the skin condition, suggesting they may face higher risk later on for heart disease and diabetes, according to a recent study.
Researchers in Australia found that kids with psoriasis aged 5 to 16 years had higher waist-to-height ratios but did not differ from peers in rates of obesity or metabolic syndrome – a cluster of risk factors for diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
As many as 7.5 million Americans, including children, may have the autoimmune skin disease psoriasis, which can be difficult to treat, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation.