A study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), says that heart attacks in young adults are twice as likely to be fatal in those with inflammatory conditions like psoriasis, lupus, or rheumatoid arthritis.
Systemic inflammatory diseases are driven by auto-immunity. In such diseases, body’s immune system attacks itself. Young adults with conditions like psoriasis, lupus, or rheumatoid arthritis are twice as likely to experience fatal heart attacks.
At least two percent of people in Europe and worldwide have systemic inflammatory diseases, which often affect multiple organ systems. Many of these systemic inflammatory diseases are driven by auto-immunity, meaning the body’s immune system attacks itself.
People with systemic inflammatory diseases have an increased risk of heart attacks. Inflammatory conditions can occur at any age, but onset is often in young adulthood. This was the first study to examine the frequency and impact of inflammatory disease in young heart attack patients.
Psoriasis is the most common inflammatory disease that causes red, itchy, scaly patches on the skin, and can also cause inflammation in the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis leads to inflammation in joints of the hands and feet and in other organ systems. In systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), the body can attack the skin, joints, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs.
