ConsumerReports.org reports common health issues including psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can increase the risk of heart disease, as these autoimmune disorders come with persistent inflammation, eventually reaching the blood vessels, and making them more prone to clogging or rupture.

ConsumerReports.org spoke to Iris Navarro-Millan, MD, rheumatologist at HSS, who emphasized the importance of getting your condition under control. Studies have shown that RA patients who are on a treatment have a 15 to 85 percent reduced risk of getting or dying from cardiovascular disease. Similarly, when patients with psoriasis are being treated with biologics, it can reduce plaque buildup that clogs arteries.

Read the full article at ConsumerReports.org. This article also appeared in the July 2019 print edition.