Can raising vitamin D levels lower the risk of death and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in individuals with psoriasis? A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology using UK Biobank data reports a potential association.

The analysis included 8,947 patients with psoriasis and 178,937 matched controls. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations were measured at baseline. Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression showed that psoriasis patients with serum 25(OH)D ≥50 nmol/L had a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.54 for all-cause mortality and 0.78 for incident CVD compared with those with levels <25 nmol/L (both p < .05). In this highest vitamin D category, psoriasis patients had no excess mortality or CVD risk compared with matched controls.

The analysis did not account for psoriasis subtypes. Higher serum 25(OH)D levels were associated with reduced risks of overall mortality and CVD in individuals with psoriasis.