Patients with psoriasis have increased risks for cataracts, cataract surgery
· Medical Xpressby Elana Gotkine
edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Andrew Zinin
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Patients with psoriasis have an increased risk for cataracts and cataract surgery, with the risks for these outcomes varying by treatment modality, according to a study published online Oct. 26 in the Journal of Dermatology.
Yan-Jie Su, from Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan, and colleagues examined the risks for cataract and cataract surgery in patients with psoriasis in a retrospective cohort study. Patients with newly diagnosed psoriasis were matched to nonpsoriasis controls by age, sex, and index year (61,622 patients with psoriasis and 61,622 controls). A nested case-control analysis was then performed among patients with psoriasis who developed cataract or underwent cataract surgery, matched to other patients with psoriasis who did not have these outcomes.
The researchers observed associations for psoriasis with increased risks for cataract and cataract surgery (adjusted hazard ratios, 1.32 and 1.41, respectively). Across subgroups stratified by age, sex, and psoriatic arthritis status, these associations were generally consistent.
In the nested case-control analysis, increased odds of cataract were seen in association with both psoralen plus ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B phototherapy (adjusted odds ratios, 1.88 and 1.22, respectively), with no clear dose-response relationship. Reduced odds of cataract were seen in association with systemic treatments, including biologics/Janus kinase inhibitors and conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (adjusted odds ratios, 0.49 and 0.74, respectively). For cataract surgery, findings were similar.
"This study demonstrated that psoriasis patients had increased risks of cataract and cataract surgery, regardless of age, sex, or the presence of psoriatic arthritis," the authors write. "The risks of these outcomes also appeared to vary according to treatment modality."
More information
Yan‐Jie Su et al., Risk of Cataract and Its Association With Phototherapy Among Patients With Psoriasis, The Journal of Dermatology (2026). DOI: 10.1111/1346-8138.70552
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