Weight-Loss Interventions Seem Beneficial in Psoriasis

MONDAY, Dec. 29, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Weight-loss interventions seem to improve psoriasis severity and quality of life, according to a review published online Dec. 19 in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venerology.

Sarah Morrow, B.M., B.Ch., from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, and colleagues examined the impact of weight-loss interventions on psoriasis severity and quality of life. Five databases and two trial registries were systematically searched. Patient focus-group discussions informed outcomes. The review included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in adults with psoriasis, comparing any weight-loss intervention to usual care or a lower-intensity weight-loss intervention; 13 RCTs (1,145 participants), with 14 comparisons, were reviewed.

Eleven interventions advised dietary changes, and of these interventions, four included physical activity; three used weight-loss medications. The researchers found that weight-loss interventions produced a greater reduction in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) than control across 14 interventions (mean difference, −2.5). A significant effect of weight-loss interventions was seen on the likelihood of achieving a 75 percent reduction in baseline PASI (PASI75). The intervention had no significant effect on the likelihood of achieving PASI50 or PASI100; both analyses were limited by few studies. Weight-loss interventions were associated with a significant improvement in the Dermatology Life Quality Index compared with control across seven comparisons (mean difference, −5.0).

“Clinicians should consider using these findings to counsel patients and refer them for weight-loss support when appropriate,” the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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