PCOS and psoriasis: How is PCOS and psoriasis connected?

Are polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and psoriasis related? This is the most common question asked by those suffering from one or both of these health conditions.

PCOS is a common hormonal imbalance condition that affects women in their reproductive years. It happens when the ovaries produce excess androgens (male hormones), which interfere with the regular functioning of the ovaries.

On the other hand, psoriasis is a long-lasting autoimmune skin disease marked by red, scaly, and often itchy patches. The immune system overreacts, speeding up the production of skin cells. The skin cells then build up on the surface before they are shed naturally.

While these two health conditions are distinct, they are connected. You are likely to get psoriasis if you have PCOS. Having psoriasis also puts you at a higher risk of contracting PCOS.

Want to know how? This article explores how these two conditions intersect and what they mean for you.

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What is PCOS? 

Polycystic ovary syndrome is an illness caused by hormonal imbalance. The body produces high levels of androgen hormones, also known as male hormones, which prevent the ovaries from releasing eggs and other reproductive hormones. 

As a result, one ends up experiencing irregular menstruation, which may result in infertility or growth on one or both ovaries. You may also gain weight, experience sleep apnea, develop psoriasis, and experience excessive hair growth on your face, chin, back, chest, and even legs.

Insulin resistance is also a cause of PCOS. When your body is insulin resistant, the cells find it difficult to pull insulin from the bloodstream, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels.

Since sugar must be moved from the bloodstream to blood cells, the pancreas has to produce more insulin to compensate. More insulin causes the ovaries to produce and release more androgen hormones, which suppress ovulation and cause PCOS. 

Excess glucose in the bloodstream increases androgen levels, leading to weight gain. 

PCOS has no cure, but a doctor may prescribe treatment solutions for the symptoms. According to studies, it affects about 1 in 3 women who are at their reproductive age in the US.  

 What is psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a long-lasting autoimmune skin condition that causes itchiness, scaly patches (plaques), and discomfort.  The scaly patches mainly occur in areas such as knees, scalp, elbows, and trunk. It can also cause sleep apnea, cracked skin, rashes, and inability to concentrate, 

Scientists have not yet found the root cause of psoriasis. All they know is the immune system overreacts and attacks healthy cells, creating inflammation that causes psoriasis. Instead of attacking foreign antibodies like bacteria to help you stay healthy, your immune system mistakenly attacks the healthy cells. As a result, inflammation or swelling forms on your skin surface as plaques. 

Since it's a chronic illness, psoriasis can flare up for a  few weeks or months before subsiding for some time.  

Like PCOS, psoriasis has no cure, but doctors can prescribe creams and ointments to manage the symptoms.

PCOS and psoriasis are connected and have many similarities. Besides not having a cure, these two diseases cause inflammation and poor sleep quality. 

PCOS and psoriasis: What's the connection?

PCOS is a disease caused by hormone imbalance, while an immune system overreaction causes psoriasis. The immune system attacking healthy cells causes inflammation, which results in plaque. 

While they differ in their definition, they are linked and share crucial effects that need to be observed. Studies have shown that having psoriasis puts you at risk of contracting PCOS, and those with PCOS are more likely to get psoriasis with severe skin plaque. In a nutshell, PCOS can cause psoriasis and vice versa. 

There are several connections between PCOS and psoriasis, including the following. 

Insulin resistance

As mentioned, insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. It moves sugar(glucose) from the bloodstream to the blood cells to reduce blood sugar after a meal. 

According to research, people with PCOS often have insulin resistance. Unfortunately, sugar can't easily be absorbed into the blood cells when your body becomes insulin-resistant, so the sugar stays in the bloodstream( raising high blood sugar). When sugar is not absorbed in blood cells, the body thinks there is insufficient blood sugar, so the pancreas produces more insulin to fix insulin resistance. 

Too much insulin and high blood sugar increase the production of androgen hormones. High levels of androgen cause extra hair growth, irregular menstruation, and weight gain. 

Most people with psoriasis are likely to experience insulin resistance and high blood sugar, which causes inflammation. The more sugar in the blood, the more inflammation occurs, causing the body to overreact to healthy cells, worsening psoriasis. 

PCOS and psoriasis cause metabolic syndrome 

Metabolic syndrome is a group of health conditions that increase the risk of severe diseases like heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. High blood pressure, excess body fat, and insulin resistance are conditions. 

Metabolic Syndrome is a common condition in women with PCOS and psoriasis.  Studies show that 43% of women with psoriasis also have metabolic syndrome, while those with psoriasis are likely to get it. 

People with these two conditions share metabolic syndrome because they have factors that necessitate its occurrence. For instance, people with PCOS and psoriasis are likely to have obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar. 

PCOS and psoriasis are inflammatory diseases

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome ( PCOS) and psoriasis are both inflammatory conditions. 

PCOS is characterized by irregular periods and insulin resistance, all of which can trigger low-grade chronic inflammation. 

On the other hand, psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy skin cells, causing inflammation and red, scaly patches on the skin.

 Inflammation is a crucial driver in both diseases: in PCOS, it originates from hormonal and metabolic imbalances, while in psoriasis, it’s due to immune system dysfunction.

The shared inflammatory pathways explain why people with PCOS are at higher risk of developing psoriasis and vice versa.

Is PCOS and psoriasis an autoimmune disease?

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease because the immune system attacks healthy tissues in the body.

PCOS could be an autoimmune disease. Most women with PCOS have an imbalance of reproductive hormones.  They have low progesterone levels, which can trigger the body to produce antibodies and more estrogen hormones. The antibodies may damage body tissue, and estrogen could cause autoimmune diseases such as lupus. 

 A team of researchers found that women with PCOS were 8 times more likely to have a positive test for antinuclear antibody test than those without.  The antinuclear antibody test is used to test autoimmune diseases.

PCOS and scalp psoriasis

Different types of psoriasis exist, including plaque, pustular, inverse, and guttate psoriasis. 

Scalp psoriasis is a form of plaque psoriasis that occurs on the scalp and other areas around it. It presents itself as a raised, thick, discolored plaque covered in silvery or white dead cells. 

Scalp psoriasis can affect anyone, but primarily people who drink alcohol, have depression, use drugs such as tobacco or smoke, have autoimmune conditions, or people with obesity.

Like any other type of psoriasis, PCOS and scalp psoriasis are linked. People with PCOS are more likely to get psoriasis of any kind, including scalp psoriasis. 

Both PCOS and psoriasis, including scalp psoriasis, are associated with chronic inflammation. PCOS often involves increased levels of inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP). Similarly, psoriasis is an inflammatory skin condition driven by an overactive immune response. The shared inflammatory pathways could make individuals with PCOS more susceptible to psoriasis.
Insulin resistance is linked to PCOS and has also been implicated in psoriasis. High insulin levels can cause inflammation and immune dysregulation, worsening psoriasis symptoms. 

Can PCOS cause psoriasis?

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) does not directly cause psoriasis. Still, there is evidence to suggest that PCOS may increase the risk of developing psoriasis or worsen existing psoriasis.

PCOS involves elevated levels of inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukins, which are also vital contributors to psoriasis

Insulin resistance is a hallmark of PCOS and has been linked to an increased risk of psoriasis. Elevated insulin levels can promote inflammation and immune system dysregulation, central to psoriasis pathogenesis.

PCOS and psoriasis treatment

Currently, PCOS and psoriasis have no cure. However, there are treatments to help you alleviate the symptoms and lower the risk of developing other diseases. 

The treatment for PCOS includes:

• Exercising regularly
• Use of laser hair removal PCOS for removing excessive hair growth 
• Taking medicine such as hormonal birth control and androgen medication. 
• Taking balanced diet 
• Metformin for insulin resistance prevention 

There are many treatments for psoriasis. However, they depend on your age, the severity of psoriasis, where the plaque or rash has occurred, and your overall health condition. The common ones include:

• Anthralin for slowing skin cell production 
• Moisturizers for moisturizing dry skin
• Steroid creams
•  Vitamin D3 ointment and vitamin A 
• Treated Lotions  for rashes on the body and shampoos for scalp psoriasis 

If symptoms don't improve after using the typical treatment method, your doctor may recommend light therapy,  cyclosporine, PUVA, retinoids, methotrexate, and immune therapies.

Final verdict

PCOS and psoriasis are connected. You are likely to get psoriasis if you have PCOS and vice versa. They share their links through inflammation, hormonal imbalances, and metabolic syndrome.

While PCOS itself does not directly cause psoriasis, the inflammatory, hormonal, and metabolic imbalances associated with PCOS may increase the likelihood of developing psoriasis or worsening its symptoms.

Managing PCOS effectively through a healthy lifestyle, medical care, and stress management can help reduce the risk of psoriasis flare-ups and improve overall well-being. If you’re dealing with both conditions, consult your doctor for a tailored approach to managing your symptoms and achieving better health.