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Lifestyle and Psoriasis

Healthy weight

Being overweight or obese can increase the likelihood that you will get psoriasis, and it may be more severe if you struggle to maintain a healthy weight. Studies are ongoing to understand the nature of the connection between bodyweight and psoriasis.

Talk to your doctor about checking your BMI to find out if you are overweight or obese, and what support is available to help you to lose weight.

Diet and exercise

Psoriasis increases the chance of you having heart disease, although it is not known why. No foods have been directly linked to worsening psoriasis, but to keep your weight down and to improve the quality of your life it is recommended that you eat healthily.

Your doctor will be able to offer you diet and exercise advice to help you.

Stopping smoking

Smoking is known to make your psoriasis worse, so it is recommended that you stop. Your doctor will be able to offer you advice on the best way for you to stop smoking and put you in touch with local support services to help you to quit.

Risk factors for other associated conditions

As part of a healthy lifestyle, you should ask your doctor to check for other conditions that may be associated with psoriasis. They can make sure you have regular check-ups and monitor you for heart disease, increased blood pressure, raised cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and psoriatic arthritis. Quitting smoking and living a healthy lifestyle will reduce the chance of you getting any of these other conditions.

Psoriatic Arthritis

Some people with psoriasis will also have psoriatic arthritis. This is when your immune system attacks your joints causing them to become stiff and inflamed. Visit our UCBCares for Inflammatory Arthritis website to find out more about psoriatic arthritis and getting the support you need for your condition.

The information provided on this website is not a substitute for professional medical care. If you have any concerns about your health or medicine, you should consult your healthcare specialist or general practitioner.

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in the patient information leaflet. You can also report side effects directly in the UK via the Yellow Card Scheme website: https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/ or via the the MHRA Yellow Card App in the Google Play or Apple App Store. In Ireland please report via the HPRA at https://www.hpra.ie/homepage/about-us/report-an-issue.

You can also report adverse events to UCB at UCBCares.UK@ucb.com or UCBCares.IE@ucb.com.

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